ONS has been proved to improve nutrients absorption and malnutrition while the compliance remains poor. This review explored the contributory factors of the palatability and the compliance of ONS among patients with malnutrition. MEDLINE, Sci Search、AGRICOLA、BIOSIS Previews, CAB ABSTRACTS, Embase, Foodline, CNKI were searched with the keywords regarding palatability, sensory, taste, smell, flavor, appetizing, compliance, ONS, enteral nutrition and dietary supplements. Literature review was conducted through the paper selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria. There found three main categories of the contributory factors which were products features, patients’ personal condition and patients’ living environment. These categories were further subdivided into nutrients, flavor, energy density, ONS volume, viscosity, digestion mechanism, age, diseases, intake time, social isolation, and incentives. It was found that small dose and high energy density ONS was effective to improve the nutrients absorption. As the nutrition status of patients had become more concerned by medical practitioners, malnutrition needed to be diagnosed as early as possible by nutrient screening. Based on the contributory factors on ONS compliance, defining nutrient demanded among patients with different diseases, designing specific nutritional prescription, increasing personal nutrition intake are key ways to benefit malnourished population.