Post-ride chocolate milk

[Owlie]

I know there are tons of post-ride chocolate milk advocates on here. I'm okay with the idea (chocolate! And it gets the milk out of the fridge!), so my question is: what do you use as the chocolate base? Hershey's syrup? Something else?

Or do I go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of the commercial stuff? (Please no, that stuff is gross.)

[badger]

and slightly on tangent, can soy chocolate do the same? I'm lactose intolerant so while it would taste good going down, chocolate milk would incapacitate me in about an hour. I do love Silk's chocolate flavour.

[jessmarimba]

I do soy, and I don't think the flavor matters so much as the fact that it should have sugar. I'm a silk very vanilla girl myself :)

The chocolate milk theory is based on the ratio of carbs/fat/protein, so I would think most "synthetic" flavored milks (soy, hemp, almond, etc) would be somewhat close. I'd much rather drink any of those than the nasty chalky recovery drinks my guy mixes up after a run or ride... *shudder*

[alexis_the_tiny]

I use a homemade syrup. Equal amounts of cocoa powder and sugar dissolved in enough water and then cooked to a syrup. You can tweak the amount of cocoa powder and sugar to make it as bitter or sweet as you like.

[shootingstar]

Would only buy and have chocolate milk after doing a long ride ie. 100+ kms. and if I had no other better choice at hand.

Knowing myself, I would get concerned on getting hooked on the stuff. :rolleyes:

[7rider]

I know there are tons of post-ride chocolate milk advocates on here. I'm okay with the idea (chocolate! And it gets the milk out of the fridge!), so my question is: what do you use as the chocolate base? Hershey's syrup? Something else?

Or do I go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of the commercial stuff? (Please no, that stuff is gross.)

DH often downs a big glass of milk with Nesquik powder (http://www.nesquik.com/adults/products/nesquikpowder/chocolate109oz.aspx) in it after a ride. It alleges to having less sugar "than leading brands" but I have to admit, I haven't checked on sugar levels of all the options. But after a hard ride, it's cool, refreshing, and decadent!

[Atlas]

I haven't been on many rides long enough to need a recovery drink, but he has and I usually have chocolate almond milk or chocolate soy milk in the fridge when he gets home. And I always have a glass myself, though he has the rest of the quart.

[OakLeaf]

Only soy milk (and only some brands of that) has protein that compares to dairy milk. I don't do either dairy or soy in quantities to meet my protein requirements, so to slam a quick recovery drink I'll use a protein powder like Garden of Life, mixed with juice for the sugar. I don't think fat is really necessary in a recovery drink, but I do try to get healthy fats throughout the day.

[GLC1968]

If you can't digest milk but yogurt is ok (like my H)...then sweetened yogurt is the right ratio and makes a nice recovery meal as well.

[lauraelmore1033]

I find Chai Latte to have the same restorative powers as chocolate milk. Oregon Chai has a pre mixed product that you mix half and half with milk. Trader Joe's Chai is also nice, but not quite as convenient.

[nscrbug]

I can't do the chocolate syrups or powder mixes...blech!!! If I want chocolate milk for a recovery drink, I'll go out and buy a carton of Skinny Cow chocolate milk. It has a higher protein content (11 grams) than any other ready-made chocolate milk on the market...and it tastes simply awesome. Much better than any homemade concoction that I could make with syrup or powder...that's for sure.

[Norse]

I usually mix milk and a little water with a chocolate flavored whey protein powder. Lately though, I have been partial to a cup of Trader Joe's Greek yogurt with some granola sprinkled on top.

[Crankin]

I buy our local brand (Hood's) ultra pasteurized skim chocolate milk. It lasts about a month! I am not a milk drinker, but I like the taste of it.
It's virtually impossible to make cold chocolate milk with a powder, as they are made for making hot chocolate. The powder never settles and mixes when it's cold. I have used Hershey's syrup, but it's just too sweet (on ice cream, that's another story).

[redrhodie]

I hardly ever drink it, but when I do, I get Horizon Organic chocolate milk. It doesn't have high fructose corn syrup.

I'm going to try alexis-the-tiny's recipe sometime.

[moonfroggy]

if you want protein you could try a green smoothie! i like the graph on this web page http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-nutrient-density-of-green-vegetables.html it shows amounts of protein in broccoli, steak, lettuce and kale. i usually drink a green smoothie after a long ride. i like to make them with a handful of nuts and seeds , a lot of leafy greens, a handful of pitted dates or some frozen very ripe bananas then either more banana and cocoa powder for chocolate or lots of frozen fruit for fruit flavored and enough water so it blends well and to make it a consistency and texture i like. it fills me up is super healthy and i think they are yummy.

[Thorn]

It is the sugar/protein ratio. Turns out chocolate milk has the right ratio.

For 90% of our longer rides, it is chai. Made from scratch chai in the winter and a packaged concetrate (Rishi) in summer. Always with soy. It seems to work well as we notice when we don't have access to protein after the ride.

Of course, if we're on the road we've also been known to stop for a smoothie or a chocolate malt at a custard stand. They aren't too rich and bad for use--they're recovery drinks.

[ny biker]

I hardly ever drink it, but when I do, I get Horizon Organic chocolate milk. It doesn't have high fructose corn syrup.

This reminds me of the Dos Equis - Most Interesting Man in the World commercials...I don't always drink chocolate milk, but when I do, I prefer Horizon Organic. Stay thirsty, my friends. :D

(Personally I like orange juice after a long ride.)

[bmccasland]

I have a standing invitation from our farmer's market dairyman, Mr.Smith of Smith's Dairy, to knock on the door of his dairy any time. There's an annual ride that goes by his dairy, and one year I actually did the ride. Saw the dairy and was so tempted to ride in as I was dragging - didn't help that they miscalculated on location of the water stops. So when I did actually see Mr. Smith at the market and was telling him about how I almost rode in, he tells me I should have! He makes the best chocolate milk too! :D

[MommyBird]

Here's how our family got 'hooked' on store-bought, lo-fat, chocolate milk.

During the last Summer Olympics I was watching one of the morning shows while spinning on my elliptical. They had a segment on what Michael Phelps drinks after each race. The announcer in China holds up these little packets and lists all the protein and good stuff in them, explains why they are good for recovery and then says how of these packs are expected to be consumed by the athletes during the games.

So, it wasn't just Michael Phelps 'secret' after all. That was just the teaser because even the losers were using it.

So, the lady in the US asks him how much each pack costs and he tells her over $5 each. Ouch for us regular guys who are so far below the Olympic losers that we do not even have our matching kits laid out for us each day or our meals prepared by a team chef, much less get handed the latest in performance products to consume before, during and after our workouts.

But, there was a silver lining moment when he added as his last point, "You can pretty much get the same benefits from drinking 8 oz of pre-made, lo-fat, chocolate milk from your local grocery store."

I purchased my first gallon that day while shopping for my family. I proudly presented them each a glass with the above story. They were hooked. I honestly can't say if it was the taste or the story above that sold them. Well, I can honestly say but I am not going to.

Now I buy about four gallons a week. I rarely drink it. My boys friends love to raid the 'Man Fridge' in the pool house. A common phrase is "My mom won't buy this stuff." I wouldn't either when I held store-made-chocolate-milk on the level of Pop-Tarts but I have now been enlightened by a morning news show.

Their favorite brand is the 1% from Krogers. They will settle for Wal-Mart but can't stand any other brand.

Oh, and before I get blazed for calling Olympic athletes losers, I only used the term sarcastically because the teaser they kept using was "Michael Phelps post race drink" as if he was the only athlete who mattered.

[OakLeaf]

LOL ... I seem to recall the rest of the Michael Phelps diet being BK Whoppers etc.

Doesn't say much for chocolate milk for the rest of us, if his diet is the standard.

[7rider]

I think my DH could live on chocolate milk and Pop-Tarts. :rolleyes:

[ny biker]

I think my DH could live on chocolate milk and Pop-Tarts. :rolleyes:

I lived on pop tarts in college. Cherry frosted. In fact I was just thinking that I should advise my nephew to stock up on his favorite flavor before he leaves for college in a couple of weeks. I already gave him ramen noodles for his high school graduation.

I think chocolate milk would taste good after a ride on a chilly day, but on a hot humid day I would probably not be able to choke it down. Maybe I'll try some in October.

[pumpkinpony]

Chocolate Almond Milk (http://store.bluediamond.com/Almond-Breezereg-Chocolate_p_11.html)... That stuff is good! A bit pricey though. $2.99 for the 1qt at Albertsons.

[moonfroggy]

you can make almond milk though for really cheap! well as cheap as the almonds. get some close to raw almonds and soak overnight, drain and rinse and put in blender with fresh water, puree, use cheese cloth or a nut milk bag or tea cloth or something to drain the liquid from the nut pulp and squeeze all the extra liquid, then you have almond milk. i make it chocolate milk by pureeing the milk with dates and cocoa powder but could use syrup or something else instead just as easily. i love almond milk you can do the same with any nuts or seeds, pumpkin seed milk is also very tasty and pumpkin seeds are cheaper than almonds.

[pll]

I have read that fat free milk (no mention of chocolate) actually helps in gaining muscle while decreasing fat mass. The most recent study was just published in June 2010. Here's the abstract:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19997019

And the study that compares the effectiveness of milk vs soy protein:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/4/1031

And the researcher behind the lab where these studies were carried out:
http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/kinesiology/people/faculty/292-Stuart%20Phillips.html

[GLC1968]

mmmm, poptarts! I'm a blueberry frosted fan myself.

Haven't had one in 5 years but I'm thinking they might make good hiking trail food for this weekend. :cool:

[malkin]

This reminds me of the Dos Equis - Most Interesting Man in the World commercials...I don't always drink chocolate milk, but when I do, I prefer Horizon Organic. Stay thirsty, my friends. :D

(Personally I like orange juice after a long ride.)

I thought you were going to say that Dos Equis has no High Fructose Corn Syrup.

(In addition to being still a fat free food!)

[nscrbug]

I think my DH could live on chocolate milk and Pop-Tarts. :rolleyes:

My DH DOES live on chocolate milk and Pop-Tarts!!! And Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, Oreo Cookies, Hostess Cupcakes and Zingers, and just about ANYTHING chocolate! :eek: And doesn't gain a freakin' ounce from it, either! :mad: He actually brings Pop-Tarts on rides, and usually washes them down with a chocolate milk bought when we make a gas station stop.

[bmccasland]

My DH DOES live on chocolate milk and Pop-Tarts!!! And Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, Oreo Cookies, Hostess Cupcakes and Zingers, and just about ANYTHING chocolate! :eek: And doesn't gain a freakin' ounce from it, either! :mad: He actually brings Pop-Tarts on rides, and usually washes them down with a chocolate milk bought when we make a gas station stop.

Proof that life is not fair. :(

[alexis_the_tiny]

Proof that life is not fair. :(

Further proof that life is not fair, when I kicked chocolate milk out of my diet briefly to become healthier, I actually fell horribly sick after training. So much for healthy eating... :rolleyes:

[Crankin]

The chocolate milk I buy has no high fructose corn syrup or any other "additive." It also has extra protein. It's just a regular brand, not organic.

[bellarosa]

Try a chocolate silk protein shake. YUM . . .YUM! You can even add a frozen 1/2 banana to it with some ice. Makes a great shake.

[Owlie]

Pop-tarts were my breakfast of choice for a few months. Frosted strawberry, washed down with plain milk or chai. I can't imagine taking them on rides, though.

Can't do soy milk, and I tread with caution on nut milks. I've never actually found a store-brand chocolate milk I like, but BF's study drink-of-choice is Nesquik, and I'm sure he wouldn't begrudge me a spoonful or two for post-ride recovery. :D
I didn't know chai concentrate+milk would do roughly the same thing, but it makes sense. I'll just have to watch the caffeine. I do keep the Tazo stuff on hand (readily available!), but since that's what I have for breakfast, I kind of want something to mix it up a bit, you know?

[bellarosa]

Try a scoop of protein powder (vanilla) with some Chocolate Soy milk. Add ice and 2 drops vanilla stevia. Blend, Blend so stinkin yummy.