When I got home to Colorado this weekend, I had (and still have) a lot to do to make it really feel like “home.” My closet hadn’t been unpacked yet, nor had my bookcases. And while I had unpacked the kitchen, I hadn’t taken enough grocery trips to truly stock it up. Since I travel four days a week, my pantry is mostly stocked with dry goods and frozen food – anything that goes in the fridge has to be something that will last. Of course I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but I try to buy only enough for the three days a week that I’m home. Most stuff that doesn’t get eaten by the end of the weekend gets frozen, made into something else that can be frozen (soups/stews can use up a lot of produce pretty quickly), or, unfortunately thrown out. Fortunately, the breakfast smoothie I made required only three ingredients – and all of them were things I keep on hand because they don’t go bad.
Blend ½ cup Fairlife chocolate milk with 1 tsp hazelnut extract and 1 frozen banana (break it up into chunks to fit it in the blender). I also like to add ½ tsp of vanilla extract for a more complex flavor, but that’s optional! Done in 30 seconds 🙂
Surprised to see milk on that ingredient list that I said was all “things that don’t go bad”? I am too. I’ve previously deemed almond milk to be my main smoothie ingredient, since the boxes I get from Trader Joe’s are cheap and can be kept on the shelf almost indefinitely, then last for at least three weeks when opened and refrigerated. But the only time I buy regular milk is when I need it for a particular dish (e.g., custard) or when my mom is coming to visit, since she insists on real milk in her coffee. (Can’t say I blame her, but I’ve learned to live without just because I can’t bear to keep wasting tons of milk every week when I only need a few tablespoons!) But now I’m very excited to learn that Fairlife helps to fill that gap, by providing real cow’s milk that still keeps for a long time. At last weekend’s yoga/smoothie tasting session, one of the main points that kept being driven home was how Fairlife has 50% more protein and calcium and 50% less sugar than regular milk, in large part because of how they strain the whey. (Kind of like Greek yogurt… and in fact, Fairlife is the milk supplier for Pinkberry’s frozen Greek yogurt.)
But one point they didn’t emphasize as much (which was the most exciting of all to me) was that Fairlife lasts much longer than regular milk – up to six weeks! That’s at least three times longer than either regular cow’s milk or almond milk, and more than enough time for me to get through a bottle. I think I’m a convert! The only thing I didn’t like about the Fairlife product line was that the chocolate milk product uses sucralose as a sweetener. I avoid fake sugars wherever possible, preferring to add a (small) amount of real sugar instead if I really think it needs to be sweeter. In the case of this recipe, the banana provides all the natural sugar you need! I used the Fairlife 2% chocolate milk in this recipe, but once I finish this bottle, I’ll probably switch to the regular Fairlife 2% milk plus 1/2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder for the smoothie. I will note that it seems like there is less sucralose in Fairlife than in other drinks, because I am usually really sensitive to the taste of fake sugar and I didn’t get that telltale aftertaste in my mouth from the chocolate Fairlife. (And if you don’t mind sucralose, this is a great, otherwise healthy pick.)
Giveaway!
But now comes the exciting part. Fairlife has generous offered a Magic Bullet blender to one lucky reader! This is a pretty awesome prize, since it lets you make smoothies in a perfect single-size container without having to then clean a big giant blender after. I’m hosting a Rafflecopter giveaway to facilitate picking a winner, so if you’re reading this in Feedly/Bloglovin’/other RSS feed reader, you’ll need to click through to enter. Check out the Rafflecopter widget below, and to enter, leave a comment telling me what type of milk you typically drink. The contest will run through Monday April 7 at 12am ET, at which time a winner will be chosen by random drawing; the winner will have one week to claim their prize.
Note: Fair Life sponsored a yoga class and provided me with some delicious product samples and smoothies for tasting, plus a Magic Bullet blender to make them at home – just like you’ll be getting if you win! I received no other compensation for this post. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I’m with you – I typically buy almond milk, since it’s so shelf stable!
I usually buy organic 2% milk.
I usually drink almond milk since it keeps longer than regular milk and I’m not a big milk drinker. Usually just in my coffee and if I make a smoothie in the morning.
This milk is supposed to keep for 6 weeks without going bad. Almond milk causes diarrhea. Real milk does not.
Great points!
I typically drink almond milk!
Skim milk or almond milk.
Skim!
I love unsweetened vanilla almond milk! It’s my jam!
I love Horizon brand skim milk. Organic and no hormones = happy cows and happy me 🙂
i always use almond milk for the shelf life thing too, can’t wait to try this!
I usually drink skim milk.
I drink skim milk or soy milk.
I usually drink organic 2% milk.
Usually soy milk.
I buy almond milk.
In the last few years since I’ve moved out of my parent’s house, all I buy is Almond/Coconut/Soy Milk – I don’t have an intolerance to regular milk, I just can’t drink it fast enough before it goes bad! I love that it lasts so much longer in the fridge. I’m also not a huge milk fan in general (would never just drink a cup of it!) so that taste difference doesn’t bother me. I DO love chocolate milk though!
I am a full fat milk girl, but soy lattes always go down well! Great giveaway 🙂 xoxo
I just started buying almond milk for my cereal. Basically because it has more calcium than milk and last longer.
Regular milk for me!
I’m in love with Almond/Coconut blend by Blue Diamond. So good!
I usually drink regular old nonfat cow’s milk, although I do sometimes put a bit of vanilla soy
in my coffee if a cafe offers it.
I don’t drink milk by itself, but for oatmeal and baking, I use almond milk!
I used to always drink whole milk (cow’s), but I recently switched to unsweetened almond milk, and I really like the change.
Almond milk!
I usually drink whole milk!
I use evaporated milk in my coffee!
I am learning to like almond milk nowadays.
I only drink almond milk!
Thanks for the giveaway
Rachel,
http://sunkissedrayy.blogspot.com/
2 % milk that’s what my kids and husband drink
I buy 1% for the house substitute almond milk when I can.
I use almond milk.
i typically buy cow’s milk (skim), and every few months, I buy chocolate milk.
Soy milk or skimmed milk
I normally use skim milk
Unsweetened vanilla almond milk!
I buy whatever brand of almond milk is on sale
I use skim milk.