Everybody has a milk preference. Some prefer fat-free skim, while whole-milk lovers will argue that skim is no more than cloudy water. But I believe a larger debate exists in the chocolate arena, where there are more variables affecting the quality of the product; such as how it is prepared and the richness of the chocolate.
The easiest route to find good chocolate milk is by purchasing the gallons or half gallons at the store. There is usually a plethora of choices, ranging from low fat to calcium fortified. The problem with the premixed chocolate milk is that you now have two gallon jugs taking up valuable fridge space; chocolate and regular, which can be avoided by a chocolate milk mix.
The advantages of mixes are you can control the chocolate content and you will also have regular milk readily available for cereal – but I would never discourage someone from trying cereal with chocolate milk.
When mixing chocolate milk the quality of the finished product will also depend greatly on the type of milk being used. Skim milk will be much less rich and may cause the mixer to make the easy mistake of overcompensating with copious amounts of chocolate mix.
I have never liked powder mixes. There are few things I hate more than eating a chunk of powder that failed to dissolve. I prefer the syrup because it’s fun to squeeze, and I like how there is always a bit of syrup hanging out in the bottom of the glass, making the last sip extra chocolaty.
And if you enjoy extra chocolatey sips, then I advise you try a Dean’s Chocolate Milk Chug. It is pretty much Type II diabetes in a bottle. Bottles of chocolate milk are great if you’re on the go. The only complaint I have about bottled chocolate milk is that I have to drink it all on the first sip, I simply cannot pace myself with cold, refreshing, smooth and rich chocolate milk.
It is important to know that Yoo-Hoo is an impostor. Yoo-hoo is not chocolate milk, it is a ‘chocolate drink,’ and it simply cannot deliver the rich creaminess that I look for in chocolate milk.
And remember, always drink responsibly. Too much, too fast could result in terrible stomach aches. I like to fill my belly just enough so that it hangs slightly over my belt. It’s not a beer gut, its a chocolate-milk gut.
