REVIEW: Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk

Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk

Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk has 50 percent more protein, 30 percent more calcium, and 50 percent less sugar than regular reduced fat chocolate milk. It has no lactose, it’s been ultra-filtered, and comes from cows that are not treated with rBST. The cows that produce Fairlife milk listen to classical music all day, receive daily massages, go to cow hot yoga classes twice a day, are read bedtime stories, eat grass from silver troughs, and have the sound of crashing waves play while they sleep.

Actually, that last sentence I’m not sure about.

According to the bottle, the producers of Fairlife milk provide “extraordinary care for our cows.” I don’t know what that means, so I just assumed they are treated better than the wagyu cattle used to make Kobe beef.

Speaking of producers, if you think this milk comes from some farm in the middle of Indiana, you’d be wrong. It’s comes from some farm in the northwestern part of Indiana. Also, it’s distributed by some small beverage company that you’ve probably never heard of. I believe their name is Coca-Cola.

So how does this milk have more protein and calcium and less sugar than regular chocolate milk? You could watch this video that’ll explain it with cute animation. Or you could read the following boring words: ultra-filtering involves separating the different parts of the milk and then recombining them, but including more of the protein and calcium and leaving out the sugars.

Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk smells and looks like every other chocolate milk on the market. It also has a nice thickness, thanks to the added carrageenan. Its flavor is mostly similar to other reduced fat chocolate milks, but it has a different aftertaste. It’s probably because of the added ace-K and sucralose sweeteners (sugar is also added), but I should make clear that the difference in flavor isn’t as dramatic as regular cola and diet cola. The aftertaste is not a deal breaker for me and my diet soda drinking taste buds, but I can see how it might be an issue for others.

Another issue others might have is the milk’s price. Fairlife is being marketed as a premium milk, so it has a premium price. A half-gallon…oh wait. A 52-ounce bottle retails for $3.99, which is more expensive than the average price for a gallon of whole milk, which I obtained from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

You’re probably thinking, “Holy crap! That is some expensive milk.” And it’s probably being followed by, “Holy crap! You did actual research for this review.”

Fairlife’s Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk is pricey, contains artificial sweeteners, goes through an unfamiliar filtering process, and is distributed by one of the world’s largest beverage companies, but I really like it. I think it has a surprisingly nice flavor for something that has artificial sweeteners, I’m all for more protein and calcium, and the price doesn’t bother me too much because of what it offers over regular milk.

Dairy milk hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s the same milk that did the body good when I was growing up. That milk is still fine, but I like having the option for “super” milk that does the body better.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup – 140 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, 13 grams of protein, 10% vitamin A, 40% calcium, and 25% vitamin D.)

Item: Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk
Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 52 oz. bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like chocolate milk. Surprisingly good flavor for something that has artificial sweeteners. 50 percent more protein, 30 percent more calcium, and 50 percent less sugar than regular reduced fat chocolate milk.
Cons: Pricey. Contains artificial sweeteners. Slightly off aftertaste. Not sure what “extraordinary care for our cows” mean.

32 thoughts to “REVIEW: Fairlife Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk”

  1. Phew.. this stuff is foul. Nastiness ranks 4 points above True-Moo Chocolate milk (7/10) and 2 above Muscle Milk (9/10). I wouldn’t even give this crap to a person I disliked.

    1. Get out of here. This stuff is awesome. So Obvious! When someone like Fairlife comes out with something as good and healthy as their Chocolate Milk… The haters/competitors come out. I’m going to go buy some right now just because of all the haters!

      1. My son loves Fairlife wayyy more than true moo or any other chocolate milk on the market besides Rockin Refuel chocolate protein shake. Forgot to mention he is 15.

      2. I drink the chocolate in my coffee, but after reading all about Carrageenan that they out in there I’m done! they should address!

    2. Yes. Frankenmilk. It’s just like Tropicana orange juice. Complete and utter lies. It will definitely give you cancer and kill you if you drink it. Plus it’s foul American hormone laden milk being dumped into the Canadian dairy market. Should be boycotted. Anything other than ORGANIC dairy is complete and utter poison. Do your research people. Eat real food and you won’t be 50 pounds overweight and diabetic.

  2. Glad this was reviewed. I have wanted to try the white.
    But eeew artificial sweeteners. Is it like that in the white do you know?

      1. Thanks! I don’t drink chocolate milk, but I wanted to try the white and was wondering about that as well.

  3. In Minnesota we got to try this stuff before everyone else got it. The gastrointestinal consequences were severe for me drinking the white 2%. Will not buy again.

  4. I’m not an anti artificial sweetener type of guy, but adding sucralose to this product seems a tad contradictory to the rest of their branding efforts. Oh well, I’d still try it.

    1. You are right. I didn’t pay close attention at the supermarket and bought it based on the great “branding efforts” on the product (50% more protein, 30% more calcium, 50% less sugar = “A better milk.”). It wasn’t until I was home and ready to try it, that I read the ingredients and I was shocked to see that it had sucralose. I lost the $4.19 this time, but I will not buy this product again. I might buy the “white” milk if it doesn’t have artificial sweeteners. I have to check the ingredients next time I go to the supermarket.

      1. I had the same experience. I bought it thinking it would not be as sweet as other chocolate milk products because of the lower in sugar claim. What they failed to highlight was the addition of artificial sweetener, making it even sweeter than other brands! I will not buy this again and I will not bother trying the white milk either given this experience.

  5. That’s some serious white-wash marketing. I suppose the cows are given manicures and combed all day?

  6. Have you ever tried Promised Land Midnight Chocolate Milk? (Didn’t find a review using search) Best chocolate milk I have ever had. Rich and creamy. I try not to think about the nutrition label when I drink it though.

  7. Read the label. This product is no different then tru milk it has one gram more protein and has 20% more sodium. Cost 3.99 for 52 oz and tru milk cost 2.99 for 64 oz. what a sram

  8. Hmmm….couldn’t you just add potato starch and chocolate whey to 2% milk for the same (if not better) nutritional profile?

  9. Fairlife milk is alright, probably not worth the price premium over other milks though.

    The 2% tastes like…extra milky milk. Thicker than normal milk but with the same taste. I like the taste of milk so it was fine. As Colbert put it “50% more protein and calcium? To get that kind of nutrition before, I would have to drink a little more milk”.

    The chocolate is quite good, flavor wise. It tastes and feels similar to those small Hershey milkshake bottles they sell at some grocery stores. I’ve heard it described as tasting like melted ice cream, I guess that’s not exactly far off. I still think Hood Premium is the best chocolate milk you can find in the average grocery store, but this stuff is ok.

  10. I tried the Chocolate 2% and I love it. It’s Rich and Creamy like Chocolate milk should be. I was really surprised because I have bought some Chocolate milk that really wasn’t very good. I have to say I wasn’t too proud of the price and that certainly will stop me from buying it as often as I Would like but I will buy it again. Think you have another winner here coke. Thank-you .

  11. I tried the Chocolate 2% and I love it. It’s Rich and Creamy like Chocolate milk should be. I was really surprised because I have bought some Chocolate milk that really wasn’t very good. I have to say I wasn’t too proud of the price and that certainly will stop me from buying it as often as I Would like but I will buy it again. Think you have another winner here coke. Thank-you .

  12. I tried the Chocolate 2% and I love it. It’s Rich and Creamy like Chocolate milk should be. I was really surprised because I have bought some Chocolate milk that really wasn’t very good. I have to say I wasn’t too proud of the price and that certainly will stop me from buying it as often as I Would like but I will buy it again. Think you have another winner here coke. Thank-you .

  13. I would like to know what the numbers on the bottle refer to. Three lines with different numbers. These are only visible when you peel off the plastic liner. First line reads: 01 05 11 05 02. Second line reads: 04 03 20 2015 and the third and last line says: 14:34 11005. Then on the cap it says: Best by Dec. 15, 15. FA 14:41 2 26-207. Thanks. Like the milk. Will try the 2% next time.

  14. This milk is so awful. Not realizing it was DIET chocolate milk and being sensitive to artificial sweetners I unfortunately found out the hard way.

  15. The white 2% milk had a noticeable odor. I have been drinking just a little at a time to make sure I don’t have a reaction. I’m having a hard time getting past the odor. It tastes okay.

  16. Love the taste of this chocolate milk. Not sure why but if I drink a lot of it I have a migraine type headache. Tried the white milk but one needs to make sure it hasn;t gone sour. I had a bottle with 3 weeks to go and one morning drank a sip and ugh……..Sent the company an email and they said would respond with 48 hrs….been three months and still waiting.

  17. Just tried the stuff today. I’m a 58-year-old man who loves chocolate milk, but drink it sparingly. In my effort to find a ‘healthier’ product, I came upon Fairlife (well, I actually read about it in a Golf Magazine interview with Bryson DeChambeau (sp?)). It is quite thick and tasty, so much so, in fact, that on the advice of another review I read, I mix it with lowfat white milk at a 50-50 ratio, and I find that to be an even better drink. I figure mixing it also helps negate some of the potential negative impacts of artificial sweetener, so will continue to do so. And it also makes it last twice as long.

  18. The chocolate milk, like most fabricated, non-real milk chocolate milks, is like artificial, sugary syrup. I can only stomach the white milk for smoothies and cereal because that kills the taste. Oh well, $4.99 CAD… didn’t burn through my wallet. The chocolate actually reminds me of protein shakes, which I also find nasty.

  19. Horrible! Just to make sure I tried it as second time! Poured it down the toulet since it tasted like shit! Want my money back.

  20. I love this milk!
    I am older and have troublegoing to sleep at night.
    Someone told me that choclate has cafieine does my favorite drink.fairlife, have cafieine?
    If so i will contunue to drink it during the day. I really like it at night.
    I am 92 and it is one of the few things i enjoy.
    Please let me know.

  21. fairlife choclate milk is my favorite.
    I am older and have trouble going to sleep at night.
    Is there caffeine in this milk?

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