I'm a foster mom and a clinically diagnosed "obese" child was placed in my home about a month and a half ago. He's the sweetest little boy in the world- but he definitely needed some help with his weight. As someone who's struggled with an eating disorder I did not want to make a big deal out of his weight. I didn't even want him knowing that he was going on a doctor monitored "low calorie" diet. I wanted him to develop a healthy relationship with food without feeling restricted and 'punished' for his weight. So- I started searching around for delicious low calorie substitutes to regular food. One of his favorites? Chocolate Milk. He usually had a glass or two every day when he got home from school.
He has a sweet tooth (as do I), and I wanted to find something that would be yummy, yet low calorie and healthy that he could sip on as he did his homework. A few minutes searching around and I came across this Silk Vanilla Almond Milk. I ordered this set on Amazon, figuring the price was so cheap how could I not try it? I expected something bitter with a 'vanilla mask' to it. What I received was a genuinely delicious product. This milk is thick- about the thickness of heavy cream. It's a bit darker in color than regular milk in color. It's a perfect texture to drink as a 'milkshake-like snack' or to use in cereal, oatmeal, or mixed with frozen berries.
It's the taste that won this product five stars though. There is a TON of sugar in this product (buyer beware- it's not nearly as healthy as it seems if you're looking at the sugar content). But, the sugar gives it a taste that is so dang yummy! My boy, who was a bit off-put by the 'almond milk' label, took one sip and was very impressed. This stuff is SO good! All of the other kids in my home also jumped on board and now every single kiddo is begging to have a cup of this stuff when they get home from school. And I'm not surprised- it tastes like a milkshake. Unlike an actual milkshake it's VERY low calorie (90 calories a cup - compared to one cup of 2% milk which is 125 calories). It's also packed with vitamins and nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D- and E. And a TON of calcium (which is great for another child in my home who's underweight and has had issues with easily breaking bones in the past).
I am unbelievably impressed with this product. It's helped my boy cut down on calorie intake immensely. We've made so many delicious healthy meals with this stuff! He eats it for breakfast with oatmeal and dried berries. We add a little bit of cocoa (mixed with warm water first) to make it into 'chocolate milk' - and the cocoa only adds about 15 calories). AND the best part is that he doesn't feel separated from the other kids, because they also want to drink this milk as an alternative to the regular 'not sweet milk' in our fridge. In fact, two of the children who are underweight drink whole milk instead- and he gets this "special milk", which actually makes him feel really good about eating healthier. I love the positivity that goes along with this milk and his weight-loss!
This milk is shelf-stable and doesn't require refrigeration. I've ordered it in bulk twice now and add containers to the fridge as I need them. I leave the rest in our pantry. It's great for saving storage space, and the price here on Amazon beats the price at the store by nearly 50%. We LOVE this stuff for so many reasons! It's very sweet (personally, I can't drink it plain! I only use it with unsweetened cereal and add water to dim down the sugary taste first). It's shelf stable. It's low calorie. It's packed with vitamins. And best of all? It's helped my kiddo actually feel good about eating "healthier" and losing weight. Hooray! Thanks, Silk! I'll be a long-term customer.
| 1.0 servings per container | |
| Serving size | 1 Cup (240 mL) |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
