PRODUCT: Fat-Free Half And Half
Half &half for people cutting calories and/or |
We love milk—and thanks to all of the cookies, cake and cereals we test at THE NIBBLE, not to mention all the cappuccinos and lattes—we drink a lot of it.
Our milk of choice is Special Request Skim Plus from Farmland Dairies. It adds additional milk protein to skim milk; the result tastes like 2% milk instead of 0%. It’s costlier because of the expense of the milk protein, but it’s more than worth it. One cup of Farmland Special Request Skim Plus Milk contains 110 calories, no fat, 11 grams of protein and 405 milligrams of calcium. It’s not only lower in calories, but more nutritious than whole milk, which contains 149 calories, 8 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein and 302 milligrams of calcium found in whole milk. (Regular skim milk has 80 calories/cup; the extra calories in Skim Plus come from the added protein.) Farmland Dairies dairy serves the East Coast, but other regional dairies have similar products. Try “super skim” and see how much more enjoyable milk-drinking can be. If you do live in the area, here’s a $1.00 coupon to try any of the products (good through October 31, 2010). |
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| We recently tasted Farmland Dairies’ relatively new Special Request Fat-Free Half & Half. Other brands of FFH&H have failed to please. Check the labels—one prominent brand is made from nonfat milk, milk, corn syrup solids (sugar), artificial color and sugar.
But Farmland Dairy’s FFH&H is made only from skim milk and milk, enhanced with vitamins A and D. It really tastes good! As with the Skim Plus milk, more milk protein and calcium are added to create creaminess. The MSRP for a quart is $2.99. Milk-Buying Tips From Farmland Dairies • Make the dairy case your last stop before checking out. At the checkout counter, have milk packed next to other refrigerated or frozen foods to keep it cool. • Don’t leave milk in a hot car while you run other errands. Fifteen to twenty minutes in a hot car is enough to raise the temperature of a carton of milk ten degrees and shorten the storage life of the milk. • Refrigerate milk as soon as you get home, before you unpack your other groceries. • Keep your refrigerator temperature at 40°F or lower. As the refrigerator temperature goes up, the storage life of milk goes down. • After opening, ultra-pasteurized milk and all other milk products should be consumed within approximately seven days, regardless of the “sell by” date. Once the carton is opened, the air that is introduced contributes to spoilage and effectively voids the “sell by” date. • Temperature control is critical: One degree will affect freshness. Don’t leave milk standing out on the counter. If you leave it at the table (in the carton, pitcher or carafe), put it in a dish of ice.
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