Breaking down Fairlife, protein, ingredients, and what these shakes may offer for your wellness routine
Do you know Fairlife milk? The blue containers with the cute cow on them that are “ultra-filtered”? It turns out they also make protein shakes! While I had no idea, one of my podcast listeners, Kellie, asked me to take a closer look, and I’m always happy to investigate. I went straight to their website. Right at the top, they share, “High-quality protein to build muscle.” Sounds promising, and we need more information.
Fairlife explains that they use a specific process involving high-quality milk, including a quick chill process and their ultra-filtration method. They filter the milk through “special soft filters to concentrate the protein and calcium and filter out most of the sugar.” The idea is that their products provide more protein and calcium with less sugar. The claims could use more detail since we do not know the exact standard for their “high-quality milk.” The next step is looking at the nutrition label.
Kellie told me she enjoys the chocolate flavor, and I see they offer two different protein shake options, Fairlife Nutrition Plan and Core Power Protein Shakes, both available in chocolate. Let’s look at both!
The Fairlife Nutrition Plan shake is marketed as a way to “elevate your wellness routine.” (We’ll take a closer look at that!) One bottle, or one serving, is 340 milliliters with 150 calories. It contains 2.5g of total fat, including 1.5g of saturated fat. The 4g of total carbs include 1g of fiber, 2g of sugar, and 30g of protein. Looking at the micronutrients, there is a significant amount of calcium, iodine, zinc, B12, a fair amount of phosphorus, some vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium, selenium, chloride, and smaller amounts of iron and potassium.
So far, this is interesting. I like that it offers 4 ounces of protein since 7g equals about 1 ounce. If we pair it with something that adds fiber, it may create a more complete snack or meal option. Adding a quality fat source could also help round out the nutrition. Without adding fiber, this could work as a post-workout protein option.
Next, we look at the ingredients. They are listed as follows: filtered low-fat grade A milk (contains less than 1% of alkali), cocoa, natural flavors, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, salt, carrageenan, lactase enzyme, monk fruit juice concentrate, Acesulfame Potassium (A.K.A. Ace K sucralose), Stevia leaf extract, vitamin A palmitate, and vitamin D3.
The main source of protein and fat, the macronutrients, is milk, along with added vitamins. For me, though, the ingredient list brings up some questions. There are several additives and sweeteners included. Even though natural flavors appear high on the list, we do not know exactly what those are. Cellulose gel, cellulose gum, and carrageenan are included for texture.
When it comes to sweeteners, there are several listed, including monk fruit juice concentrate, acesulfame potassium (Ace K), sucralose, and stevia leaf extract. For some people, carrageenan or sucralose may be something they prefer to avoid, while others may not be concerned. It truly comes down to personal preference. I’ve also talked about Ace K before in a podcast episode called “Healthier’ Food Swaps,” and for some people, this ingredient is a deciding factor.
So where does that leave us? For me, I see this as sweetened milk with added thickeners. Fairlife explains that this is possible because of their ultra-filtration process, which concentrates the protein and calcium while filtering out sugar. I understand the concept, yet I still have questions. Personally, I would rather have naturally occurring sugar than several added sweeteners.
I might also choose a protein powder mixed with water. If you’re like me, dairy does not always agree with your stomach. I tend to feel better with a whey protein isolate or concentrate compared with regular dairy products. One thing I noticed is that they added lactase enzymes, which may help the body process lactose even though they state that much of it has been removed.
Now let’s look at the Core Power Protein Shake, which is marketed as a post-workout option designed to “champion your recovery.” They promote it as a source of protein and electrolytes that may support muscle building and hydration.
In the chocolate flavor, one serving is 414 milliliters, which is slightly larger than the Nutrition Plan option. It contains 170 calories, 4.5g of fat, including 3g of saturated fat, and 9g of carbs. The carbs include 2g of fiber and 7g of sugar with no added sugar. There are also 26g of protein per serving.
For micronutrients, the label shows iron, calcium, and potassium. Compared with the Nutrition Plan shake, it has less calcium and iron while providing twice as much potassium. This surprised me a little since the product highlights electrolytes. I would expect to see magnesium or a specific type of salt included as well. It does contain 30mg more sodium than the other option, yet the source is not listed, and the source can matter when evaluating ingredients.
The ingredient list is fairly similar. Compared with the other shake, the Core Power option is not my first choice. They also offer Core Power Elite, which contains 42g of protein and has nutrition facts closer to the Nutrition Plan Shake. It may be worth reviewing separately to see if it aligns with your needs.
Overall, I’m in the camp of using a high-quality protein powder mixed with water instead of these types of protein shakes. If I had to choose one Fairlife option, I would lean toward the Nutrition Plan shake over the Core Power Shake. That’s my personal preference, though, and the best choice is the one that fits your own nutrition needs, wellness goals, and lifestyle.