My family and I exclusively drink organic milk. I am not too thrilled with the antibiotics and hormones present in conventional milks. I am especially worried about the effects of the hormones on my growing daughter. To avoid the questionable contents of conventional milk, my family has switched to organic milks. I also like that organic milk seems to have a longer best by date than conventional milk, which is especially helpful because I now buy in bulk and freeze a few jugs to save money.
I recently received six eight-ounce single-serve boxes of the new DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic flavored-milk to try. My family and I already drink Horizon Organic milk, so I jumped at the chance to review the new DHA Omega-3 variety. I received three shelf-stable boxes of chocolate DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk and three shelf-stable boxes of vanilla DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk to review along with a fun metal Horizon Organic lunchbox.
Just like other Horizon Organic milk products, the new shelf-stable DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk provides drinkers with all of the same nutritious benefits of organic DHA omega-3 milk. Unlike other milks, however, the single-serve boxes are shelf-stable, meaning you can store the milk in your pantry rather than always in your refrigerator. Shelf-stable milk means you can buy in bulk without worrying about taking up too much space in your fridge.
I buy a lot of shelf-stable milk already, so DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk is a perfect addition to my kitchen. A few hours before I knew that I wanted to drink some, I stuck the boxes of milk in the fridge. Once cold, the DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic tasted just like milk that had always been refrigerator but with the convenience of shelf-stableness. I can also see myself adding a box of DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk to my daughter’s lunches when she starts going to school.
DHA omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that supports healthy brain development. Each serving of DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk provides 32 milligrams of DHA. The chocolate and vanilla varieties that I received also provide 30% of the daily recommended calcium, 25% of vitamin D, 10% of vitamin A, and 25% of riboflavin as well as 8 grams of protein.
As far as taste goes, I really liked both the chocolate and the vanilla. I was particularly impressed with the vanilla, which is saying a lot because I generally prefer chocolate over vanilla. As for my toddler daughter, I thought that she would like the vanilla best. However, she ended up gulping down the chocolate that I gave her. She also like the vanilla, but she really loved the chocolate.
My only concern with the new DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic flavored-milk is the sugar content. One cup of regular whole milk contains about 11 grams of sugar. The vanilla DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk contains 21 grams, and the chocolate DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic contains 22 grams. The same size serving of orange juice contains about 21 grams of sugar. One cup of Mexican Coke made with real sugar contains 26 grams. Although healthier than the empty calories of a soda and similar to sugar-laden but semi-nutritious fruit juice, DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk still contains a lot of extra sugar.
With the health risks associated with excessive sugar consumption, I cannot allow my daughter to drink DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic flavored-milk all the time. With almost double the amount compared to regular milk, the sugar content is just to high for my tastes. The plain version of DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk, however, contains only 11 grams of sugar, just like other regular milks. Although I would buy the flavored varieties only as a special treat, I will let my daughter and the rest of my family drink the plain DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk all the time. I would love to see Horizon Organic offer a plain, unsweetened DHA Omega-3 in the lunch box size packaging. I would be more apt to buy the boxes over the bigger containers if I did not have to worry about all the added sugar.
Final Verdict: Although I am not thrilled about the high sugar content of DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic flavored milk, I do enjoy the taste of both the chocolate and the vanilla. My daughter particularly liked the chocolate. I also like that DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk offers all the nutrients of regular milk with the added benefits of DHA omega-3. Finally, I appreciate the convenience of shelf-stable milk, which means that I can buy in bulk without filling up my fridge.
DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic milk is now available in supermarkets and natural food stores nationwide at a suggested retail price of $7.99 for the six-pack, $14.99 for the twelve-pack, and $15.99 for the eighteen-pack. For more information, check out the Horizon Organic website or follow the company online at Facebook or Twitter.
Image Credits
Horizon Organic Lunch Box © 2013 Heather Johnson
DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Flavored Milk in Lunch Box © 2013 Heather Johnson
DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Flavored Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Chocolate and Vanilla Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
Poppy Checking Out the DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Vanilla Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
Poppy Tasting the DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Vanilla Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
Poppy Checking Out the DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
Poppy Tasting the DHA Omega-3 Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk © 2013 Heather Johnson
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