SOY CHOCOLATE MILK

The stature of chocolate milk as a mainstay of American culture and lore needs little elaboration. From "chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows," to Ralphie's obsession with downing Ovaltine to acquire his beloved decoder ring in the mail, chocolate milk has been a mainstay of popular American culture throughout the 20th century.

Strictly speaking, chocolate milk is a sweetened, cocoa-flavored milk drink. The two traditional ways to enjoy chocolate milk are either as a pre-mixed beverage, or to mix it on your own. To mix on your own, simply combine milk with cocoa-powder and a sweetener (like sugar), or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix. Voila: tip the cup and enjoy. And while some chocolate fans claim chocolate milk may be helpful after intense workouts for its ratio of carbohydrates (sugar) to protein, such claims come off as somewhat dubious due to the drink's sheer deliciousness.

Now, with soy chocolate milk, there's no reason for vegetarians or the lactose intolerant to miss out on all the fun. Like traditional chocolate milk, soy chocolate milk is often available for purchase as a pre-mixed beverage, or, for a more homemade feel, can be mixed with soy milk and any of the aforementioned forms of chocolate. Since many soy milk products on the market already contain slight to moderate amounts of sweetener, be just be sure to adjust your proportions.

Those among us interested in pursuing an even healthier version of the classic beverage can mix certified organic soy milk with melted vegan chocolate chips. Doing so will result in a totally organic soy chocolate milk treat.