I hear the lovely promise of a lower A1c but when I read the label I don’t recognize the ingredients and that says move on…anyone lovin this stuff or is it all hype?
It’s all hype 
A glucerna bar may be better than a snickers bar, and the “shake” better for you than a milkshake, but the reality is that it’s better to pass all of them up!
I use Glucerna bars, when in training for and actually doing half marathons as a walker and it does aid me in not going low , if I eat about every 25 min . 1/8 of a bar …it does minimize bg spikes , which CAN help lower A1C …I do not use them as part of my regular meal plan .
I use them for breakfast and they work well, they taste better than most bars…
Ive had Glucerna (both bar and drink) before when I was trying to gain weight after a month long confinement from the hospital (bad back accident). The taste didn’t bother me either but I would have preferred something better. I didn’t think it affected my A1C at that time. My doctor also gave me a drink then called “Nutren Diabetes” by Nestle, taste-wise…I think it was a little better.
Diabetic products such as Glucerna are developed and marketed to make money. They are highly processed foods containing many ingredients that are of questionable quality for your health. You intuitive reaction was right on. Foods with so many ingredients you don’t recognize, it is probably bad for you.
That being said, meal replacement options and shakes can be used very appropriately and it is good to have a bunch of things in your arsenal. Myself, I really like to have protein shakes. I buy whey protein is large quantities (5-6 lb bags) and mix it at home, either with a cup of milk or cream or if I really want low carb, water. But as you note, it is best to find options that you can directly trace back to whole food sources that you would consider “good for you.”
ps. Some people actually make their own bars. Look around for low carb bars, whey protein is often a key ingredient.
They sound disgusting. And 34 grams of carb is a lot.