Why Quality is Important
Ultimately, this site ranks chocolate milk based on flavor and delicousness. However, that does not mean this is not a good place to also share the enviromental merits of the production of chocolate milk, or the lack thereof. It is important to be concious consumers, and not just choose what tastes the best, but also, not give money to destructive and exploitative practices.
Ingredients
Overall: Good chocolate milk is about the taste. Is it sweet? Rich? Decadent? Flat? Full? Aromatic? Earthy? Dairy? Creamy? Bitter? Sour? What kind of chocolate did they use? Dutch? Milk Chocolate? What other flavors did they add?
Sugars & Sweeteners: Stear clear of added sugars. Sugar, dextrose, maltose, maltodextrin, it’s all junk and pollutes the milk.
Additives: Xantham gum, citric acid, vitamin palmates, are all common ingredients and don’t have significant impacts. Still, it’s better to get milk close to the source as possible.
Other ingredients: Mint, sea salt, caramel, etc. Extra flavors are fantastic to add. Banana is probably the second most common type.
Oils: Seed and nut oils can be unhealthy (see references) and can promote unsustainable agricultural practices.
Vegan vs Dairy: The preference is totally subjective. I grew a distaste for dairy overtime, especially as the variety of non-dairy kinds of milk increased. In my opinion the best vegan bases are in order:
- Almond
- Rice
- Coconut
- Other Nuts
and the best dairy in order: (critically missing sheep milk)
- whole fat cow grass fed grass finished
- whole fat goat
- unpasteurized cow whole fate
- cow 2%
- cow no fat
Ethics
Environmental Impact: Are pesticide used? Herbicides? What’s cut down to make room for the crops or grazing? Emissions of transportation or manufacturing technology?
Water usage: Are water-smart crops being used? Are drought-tolerant crops being planted in less wet climates? Are companies using too much water and replacing too little?
Quality:
Certifications: (Vegan, Fairtrade, Organic, etc)
Local: How far did the milk travel? Or the supplies?
Ethics, Part Two: Major Companies
WholeFoods (of amazon) Has a great selection and often offers cool certifications that look for things like fairtrade cocoa, organic, etc. Overall, they have a much higher quality of chocolate milk and companies that most other grocers, but buying from wholefoods gives money to amazon, which is.. not ideal, as Amazon supports corrosive consumer practices.
Nesquik sucks. A quick google search will substantiate that claim and prove informative. I don’t like to but their new milk to review, but I must for fairness.
The Verdict
If you’re going the dairy route, look for grass fed whole fat low-to-no added sugar milk. You’ll get the biggest flavor and the creamiest taste.
If you’re going non-dairy or vegan, try to find some organic unsweetened chocolate oat milk. That is what I would recommend for day-to-day usage.