Liquid nutrition: types, use and what is important
Not all liquid nutrition is the same. There are worlds of difference between medical nutrition from the pharmacy, astronaut food for senior citizens and plant-based liquid meals for everyday use - in terms of composition, nutritional profile and price. Nevertheless, these product categories are regularly confused. What is actually in the different products? Which form is suitable for whom? And when is it worth reaching for the bottle instead of the saucepan? Answers with specific nutritional values, a product comparison and clear recommendations.
What counts as liquid nutrition?
The term liquid nutrition covers all foods that provide energy and nutrients in a drinkable form - from medical drinkable food on prescription to wholesome drinkable meals from the online shop. The common denominator: macro and micronutrients in a concentrated, easily absorbed form. The differences lie in the purpose, the regulation and the target group.
In everyday language, many terms are used interchangeably: Drinkable food, astronaut food, drinkable meal, liquid food. The equation is understandable, but inaccurate. Drinkable medical nutrition is classified as a balanced diet - a food for special medical purposes (FSMP), regulated by EU Delegated Regulation 2016/128 and used under medical supervision. Wholefood drinkable meals, on the other hand, are regular foods, freely available for sale and designed for healthy adults.
If you choose the wrong category, you will get a product that is not intended for your needs - or miss out on a solution that would fit.
This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice. If you have persistent symptoms, please consult your doctor.
Three categories: Medical drinkable food, drinkable meal and tube feed
Not all liquid nutrition fulfils the same purpose. The three most important product categories differ in terms of composition, authorisation and context of use - and are aimed at completely different target groups.
Medical nutrition (balanced diet)
Products such as Fresubin or Fortimel are considered balanced diets. They were developed for people whose normal nutritional intake is restricted due to illness - for example in the case of cancer, after surgery or in the case of severe malnutrition. The macronutrient distribution is tailored to medical requirements. Many of these products are fully balanced, meaning they contain all essential nutrients in sufficient quantities.
Depending on requirements, there are normocaloric variants (1 kcal/ml) and high-calorie variants (1.5-2 kcal/ml). A typical 200 ml bottle provides between 200 and 400 kcal. The protein content is usually 12 to 20 g per portion. If prescribed by a doctor, health insurance covers the costs.
Wholefood drinkable meals
Drinkable meals are not medical products, but regular foods with a complete nutrient profile. They are aimed at healthy adults who are looking for a complete meal in liquid form - due to lack of time, convenience or because they want to control their nutrient supply. In contrast to medical nutrition, the focus is less on pure calorie density and more on a balanced micronutrient profile: protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals in a ratio that can replace a regular meal. Find out more in the overview of meal replacement.
What is the difference between tube feeding?
Tube feeding is a form of enteral nutrition - it is not ingested orally, but is fed directly into the stomach or small intestine via a tube. It is used when oral nutrition is completely impossible: after serious operations, in neurological diseases or in intensive care. For most people who are looking for "liquid nutrition", tube feeding is not relevant. The distinction nevertheless belongs here because the term sometimes also includes this product form.
When liquid nutrition is useful
Liquid nutrition covers a wide range of situations - from acute medical care to everyday nutritional optimisation. The most common use cases can be categorised into four groups.
Malnutrition and weight loss
If you lose weight unintentionally or do not consume enough nutrients in your normal diet, you may be affected by malnutrition. There are many causes: chronic illnesses, loss of appetite, side effects of medication, psychological stress. According to the DGE, the energy intake of malnourished people is often well below their individual requirements. High-calorie liquid medical nutrition can close the nutritional gap as a supplement to the normal diet.
The prescription requires a diagnosed or imminent malnutrition.
When chewing and swallowing are difficult
Dysphagia - a swallowing disorder - does not only affect senior citizens. It occurs in neurological diseases, after a stroke or after operations in the head and neck area. For patients with dysphagia, the consistency of the food is crucial: creamy or thickened liquids are better tolerated than solid food. Medical nutrition is therefore available in various consistencies - from thin liquid to pudding-like.
Even after wisdom tooth surgery or dyssphagia of a different cause, liquid food is often the more practical choice for a few days.
Liquid food in old age
As people get older, their appetite decreases and their protein requirements increase. The ESPEN guidelines recommend at least 1.0 g of protein per kilogramme of body weight per day for people over 65, and even 1.2 to 1.5 g if they are ill. Liquid food for seniors can help to achieve these values without having to cope with large portions of solid food.
During convalescence - the recovery phase after hospitalisation - liquid food makes it easier to build up a diet and provides nutrients, even if the appetite is still lacking.
Everyday life requires quick solutions
Not everyone who turns to liquid food is ill. Working people, students and athletes use drinkable meals as a quick, wholesome alternative to cooking - in the morning before work, between meetings or after training. Medical nutritional drinks are neither intended nor necessary for this use case. Wholesome drinkable meals with a complete nutritional profile fill precisely this gap.
High-calorie liquid nutrition for weight gain
Medical drinkable foods typically provide 1.5 to 2 kcal per millilitre - a 200 ml bottle therefore contains 300 to 400 kcal. If you want to gain weight, you need a calorie surplus, and high-calorie liquid nutrition can help.
However, the number of calories alone says little. Nutrient density - the ratio of micronutrients to calories - counts just as much. 500 kcal from sugar and fat may cause weight gain, but it does not provide the body with what it needs. In addition to calories, a sensible high-calorie liquid diet also provides protein for muscle maintenance and a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
For targeted weight gain, a combination of a high-calorie diet and strength training is recommended - this creates muscle mass instead of pure fatty tissue. In the case of medically induced weight loss (such as after cancer), the procedure should be carried out by a doctor.
Not all liquid nutrition is sugar-free
While medical nutritional drinks often contain maltodextrin, glucose syrup or sucrose, some drinkable meals do not contain any added sugar at all. The difference can be seen directly in the blood sugar levels: products with a lot of simple sugars cause a rapid rise and subsequent drop - products without added sugar keep blood sugar levels more stable.
Why do medical nutritional drinks contain sugar at all? The reasons are obvious: Sugar improves flavour (crucial for patients with loss of appetite), provides readily available energy and affects consistency. For cancer patients or malnourished senior citizens, where every calorie counts, this can make sense.
For healthy adults, the calculation is different. Added sugar has no benefits here - and if the micronutrient profile is right, it simply isn't needed. A look at the nutritional table helps: the line "Of which sugar" reveals how much is actually contained. The statement "No added sugar" on the packaging is a first indication, but is not enough on its own - some products contain a relevant amount of natural sugar despite this statement.
For comparison, a bottle of Saturo Trinkmahlzeit contains a maximum of 1.5 g of naturally occurring sugar - with zero grams of added sugar. The flavour comes from cocoa, vanilla or real coffee, not from added sugar.
Powder or ready-to-drink?
You stand in the kitchen in the morning and have ten minutes. Mix a powder or open a bottle?
Liquid food is available in two basic formats: as a ready-to-drink drink and as a powder for mixing. Both are justified - the choice depends on your priorities.
Ready-to-drink liquid nutrition is extremely convenient. Open the bottle, drink, done. No scales, no shaker, no washing up. The disadvantage: higher price per meal and more packaging. Liquid food in powder form is cheaper and more flexible in terms of dosage, but requires preparation and a container for mixing.
Those who prioritise convenience and use liquid food on the go or in the office are better served with a ready-to-drink format. If you want to prepare at home and save money, go for powder.
Saturo as a complete liquid food for everyday life
Most products under the "liquid food" label were developed for sick or malnourished people. For healthy adults, the right approach is often missing: anyone looking for a wholesome meal in liquid form needs neither a prescription nor a medical product - but a drinkable meal with the right nutrient profile.
Saturo fills precisely this gap. One bottle of Saturo drinkable meal (400 ml) provides 400 kcal and covers at least 33% of the daily requirement of all 26 essential vitamins and minerals. 36 g of protein from soya beans and field beans provide all essential amino acids in high bioavailability. There is also 7.3 to 7.7 g of fibre from chicory root (inulin) and unsaturated fats from rapeseed oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids (ALA). Added sugar: zero grams.
Nutritional value
Per bottle
Calories
400 kcal
Protein
36 g
Vitamins & minerals
26
Fibre
7.7 g
Added sugar
0 g
36 g of protein per bottle - the equivalent of about five large eggs. The difference: a bottle of Saturo also provides 26 vitamins and minerals that a protein shake does not offer.
Six flavours (Cocoa, Vanilla, Strawberry, Banana, Cappuccino, Natural) provide variety. The Cappuccino flavour contains caffeine, while Natural contains no sweeteners. 100% vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free. Nutri-Score A.
Over 5 million meals sold and the feedback from our community show that Drinkable meals are no longer a niche product. Made in Germany, developed in Austria - owner-managed and without external investors.
How much liquid nutrition per day?
A typical doctor's recommendation for medical drinkable nutrition is one to three portions a day - as a supplement to the normal diet or, in the case of fully balanced products, as the sole source of nutrition. There are no medical dosage guidelines for complete drinkable meals because they are regular foods.
As a guide, one drinkable meal can replace a regular meal without you having to change the rest of your diet. No time in the morning? Replace breakfast. Lunch break at your desk? Replace lunch. Your total calorie requirement remains the central parameter - whether the calories come from solid or liquid food is of secondary importance.
When eating a predominantly liquid diet, the product should cover all essential nutrients. In addition, a purely liquid diet reduces the mechanical strain on the chewing apparatus - in the long term, a combination of solid and liquid food makes more sense for most people.
This is exactly the idea behind Saturo: not to replace the entire diet, but individual meals - where it suits.
Buy liquid food: Pharmacy, prescription or online shop
Medical liquid nutrition is available from any pharmacy - without a prescription, but reimbursed by health insurance if prescribed by a doctor. The prerequisite for reimbursement: a medical indication (existing or impending malnutrition) and the categorisation of the product as a balanced diet.
Drinking meals such as Saturo are not balanced diets and therefore cannot be prescribed. However, they are not bound to a pharmacy. You order directly from the manufacturer's online shop. Six bottles cost €26.34 (€4.39 per meal, €1.10/100 ml) - well below the price of most medical nutritional drinks, which are rarely less than €6 per portion, even in bulk packs.
