Arby's Low Fat Chocolate Milk

About the Low Fat Chocolate Milk

At $2.29, Arby's Low Fat Chocolate Milk is the sweetest drink on the kids menu without crossing into milkshake territory, and one serving carries 140 cal. Arby's says the trick to chocolate milk is getting just the right amount of chocolate, and it claims to have found that balance.

The menu copy lays out the problem neatly. Too much chocolate and the drink turns cloying. Too little and you might as well pour regular milk. This version aims for the middle: a light brown, cocoa flavored milk that tastes like chocolate first and dairy second, with a smooth, clean finish rather than a syrupy coating on your tongue.

Body stays close to plain low fat milk. It is thinner than a shake and lighter than whole chocolate milk, so a child can drink it through a straw in a few minutes without feeling stuffed. Cold, it tastes like the chocolate milk from a school cafeteria lunch, which for many parents and kids is exactly the appeal.

On nutrition, the panel shows 22 grams of sugar, 130 milligrams of sodium, a light 2.5 grams of fat, plus 8 grams of protein. The protein matches the plain Low Fat Milk, while the added chocolate brings more sugar and a modest bump in Low Fat Chocolate Milk calories over the plain version. Compared with a shake, it is a small fraction of the calories and sugar, so it works as a treat that still counts as milk.

How much is the Low Fat Chocolate Milk? It matches the plain milk penny for penny on the Austin menu we follow. Stores in other cities can charge slightly more or less.

Who reaches for it? Kids who turn down plain milk, parents who want protein in the drink without a fight, and adults who simply like chocolate milk with a sandwich. It also makes a good pick after sports practice, when kids want something sweet and cold and a little more filling than juice.

It fits naturally with the rest of the Arby's kids menu, where it sits next to plain milk, apple juice drink and applesauce.

Sweet chocolate plays well against salty food, so pour it next to a Chicken Tenders 2PC Kids Meal, or pair it with an order of Curly Fries for a sweet and salty snack.