The delicious flavor of chocolate milk isn’t the only good thing about this popular beverage; it also contains a number of nutrients and can provide health benefits beyond what you enjoy with the regular white milk.
What is Chocolate Milk?
Quite simply, chocolate milk is a sweetened chocolate-flavored variety of traditional white milk. It has been around in some form since the 1700s and there are various ways to prepare this creamy and delicious drink. While some parents look at flavored milk like chocolate milk with some suspicion, it has actually proven itself to be a nutritious and rejuvenating beverage. While it does contain more calories and sugar than white milk, it also enjoys a boost in certain nutrients. As a whole, most experts support chocolate-flavored milk as a beneficial part of a healthy diet. [1]
Chocolate milk is always a good idea to avoid too much caffeine. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
As with any high-sugar food, it should only be consumed in moderation, taking into consideration the number of calories each glass contains.
| Serving Size : | |
|---|---|
| Nutrient | Value |
| Water [g] | 82.3 |
| Energy | 83 |
| Energy [kJ] | 349 |
| Protein [g] | 3.17 |
| Total lipid (fat) [g] | 3.39 |
| Ash [g] | 0.8 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference [g] | 10.34 |
| Fiber, total dietary [g] | 0.8 |
| Sugars, total including NLEA [g] | 9.54 |
| Calcium, Ca [mg] | 112 |
| Iron, Fe [mg] | 0.24 |
| Magnesium, Mg [mg] | 13 |
| Phosphorus, P [mg] | 101 |
| Potassium, K [mg] | 167 |
| Sodium, Na [mg] | 60 |
| Zinc, Zn [mg] | 0.41 |
| Copper, Cu [mg] | 0.07 |
| Manganese, Mn [mg] | 0.08 |
| Selenium, Se [µg] | 1.9 |
| Fluoride, F [µg] | 5.2 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] | 0.9 |
| Thiamin [mg] | 0.04 |
| Riboflavin [mg] | 0.16 |
| Niacin [mg] | 0.13 |
| Pantothenic acid [mg] | 0.3 |
| Vitamin B-6 [mg] | 0.04 |
| Folate, total [µg] | 5 |
| Folate, food [µg] | 5 |
| Folate, DFE [µg] | 5 |
| Choline, total [mg] | 17 |
| Vitamin B-12 [µg] | 0.33 |
| Vitamin A, RAE [µg] | 27 |
| Retinol [µg] | 26 |
| Carotene, beta [µg] | 7 |
| Vitamin A, IU [IU] | 98 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg] | 0.07 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units [IU] | 51 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [µg] | 1.3 |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) [µg] | 1.3 |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg] | 0.3 |
| Fatty acids, total saturated [g] | 2.1 |
| 4:0 [g] | 0.1 |
| 6:0 [g] | 0.06 |
| 8:0 [g] | 0.04 |
| 10:0 [g] | 0.08 |
| 12:0 [g] | 0.09 |
| 14:0 [g] | 0.32 |
| 16:0 [g] | 0.89 |
| 18:0 [g] | 0.47 |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] | 0.99 |
| 16:1 [g] | 0.07 |
| 18:1 [g] | 0.87 |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g] | 0.12 |
| 18:2 [g] | 0.08 |
| 18:3 [g] | 0.05 |
| Cholesterol [mg] | 12 |
| Tryptophan [g] | 0.04 |
| Threonine [g] | 0.14 |
| Isoleucine [g] | 0.16 |
| Leucine [g] | 0.3 |
| Lysine [g] | 0.27 |
| Methionine [g] | 0.08 |
| Cystine [g] | 0.02 |
| Phenylalanine [g] | 0.16 |
| Tyrosine [g] | 0.16 |
| Valine [g] | 0.21 |
| Arginine [g] | 0.09 |
| Histidine [g] | 0.1 |
| Alanine [g] | 0.11 |
| Aspartic acid [g] | 0.27 |
| Glutamic acid [g] | 0.71 |
| Glycine [g] | 0.06 |
| Proline [g] | 0.31 |
| Serine [g] | 0.19 |
| Caffeine [mg] | 1 |
| Theobromine [mg] | 23 |
| Sources include : USDA [2] | |
Chocolate Milk Nutrition
Chocolate milk contains quite a few nutrients – all of the elements of white milk, along with some additional components. This includes quite a bit of saturated fat, as well as a smaller amount of monounsaturated fat. There is also a good amount of dietary fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, potassium, in this milk variety. Vitamin D and calcium are also present in high amounts – roughly 32% and 28% of your daily requirements, respectively, in a single cup. With approximately 210 calories per cup, it should be consumed in moderation, or it can skew your caloric intake and lead to weight gain.
Health Benefits of Chocolate Milk
The most notable health benefits of chocolate milk include replenishing nutrients following exercise, managing growth, strengthening bone density, stimulating the immune system, and regulating digestion, among others.
Speeds-up Recovery
Many athletes praise this sweet milk variety as an excellent post-workout recovery beverage. It can provide carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and electrolytes in a delicious form that is ideal for muscle growth and toning. [3]
Strengthens Bones
With its high level of protein, chocolate milk is a great choice for children (in moderation), as it can be easier to convince them to drink chocolate-flavored milk. This will guarantee proper growth and development, as well as strong bones, thanks to the high level of calcium and vitamin D. [4]
Boosts Immunity
With a good amount of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, chocolate milk can give the immune system a necessary boost to protect against infection and illness. [5]
Regulates Blood Pressure
A single cup of chocolate milk delivers more than 10% of the potassium you need each day, which can help lower your blood pressure and improve heart health by lowering your risk of heart attacks and strokes. [6]
Improves Digestion
There is quite a bit of fiber in chocolate milk, which can improve your digestion process and regulate your bowel movement, while also eliminating bloating, cramping and indigestion. [7]
How to Make Chocolate Milk?
Rather than purchasing this milk at the store, many prefer to make their own chocolate milk, which is quite simple. There are a few main methods for making your own chocolate beverage, all of which include blending a type of chocolate or sweetened with white milk. Most people simply mix chocolate syrup or chocolate powder into milk and stir vigorously. There are also pre-packaged chocolate mixes that may have other ingredients to make a richer or creamier version. Melted chocolate can also be used, in a ratio to be determined by your desired sweetness and sugar intake. Let us take a look at the recipe below.
Delicious Homemade Chocolate Milk Recipe
Instructions
- To make chocolate milk, combine all the aforementioned ingredients together. Take a glass and pour the milk into it. Whilst blending the mixture with an immersion blender or spoon, gradually add the milk into the glass. It would be advisable to use an immersion blender to avoid clumping of the cocoa powder.
- Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar to the glass of cocoa powdered milk. You can either have the chocolate milk immediately or refrigerate it and have it chilled later.
Notes
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