When I was growing up, eggnog was one of my very favorite things about the Christmas season. I was often able to talk my parents into buying a quart or half gallon and if no one monitored my consumption, the container would be empty in far shorter order than was healthy. I loved the stuff. When I discovered eggnog lattes at a local coffee place during high school, all bets were off. I must have gained ten pounds alone from those drinks. These days I try to stay away from eggnog, mostly because it's just not that good for you. However, a couple of years I discovered a drink at Whole Foods that tastes (at least to me) almost identical to eggnog. It's not nearly as bad for you and has lots of protein, which means that on occasion it's not too awful to use it to replace a meal. It's called Perfectly Protein and is made by Bolthouse Farms. They have a whole line of drinks, but this one is my very favorite. So if you're longing for eggnog this holiday season, but want something that isn't quite as artery-clogging, check out the Vanilla Chai Perfectly Protein. It's good stuff.
12-14-2007 @7:45PM LM said... This is great stuff! I also reccomend it for eggnog lovers who don't want all that fat. Actually I think it tastes better than eggnog. So there.
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12-14-2007 @7:09PM K said... I'm with you -- both on how much I like eggnog, and how "not good for you" it is. Packs quite a few calories. I've tried this Chai protein and it's quite good, actually.
For eggnog, I still buy it, but honestly, eggnog is SO thick and SO sweet, as an adult, I just couldn't drink it straight even if I wanted to. For one cup of eggnog, I just pour out 1/4 cup of eggnog "base" from the carton, and add 3/4 cup of FF or LF milk. It's particularly good frothed with one of those battery operated whipping devices, to thoroughly blend it and give it a foamy top. A quick shake of nutmeg later, and I'm in business, for far less calories. This is better than the "light" versions sold in the store -- they just don't taste right.
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12-14-2007 @8:52PM jim said... I agree this is good stuff (along with their mango lemonade), but to me this taste like chai tea and eggnog tastes like eggnog... I've never thought the two taste similar at all.
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12-15-2007 @6:11AM Rob O. said... I'm with Jim. Bolthouse Farms drinks are good, but it's just not eggnog.
Also, be aware that while the BF protein drinks do have much less fat, they are still loaded with quite a bit of sugar...
Here's a recipe from the Splenda site for a low-fat, low-sugar eggnog that's supposed to be quite good:
http://splenda.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Recipe.aspx?nprid=76251
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12-15-2007 @4:05PM Anji said... I've never tasted eggnog, being British. Perhaps I should hunt some down, as everyone seems to rave about it!
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12-15-2007 @8:56PM barry said... Being vegetarian, I've always used this as a substitute for evaporated milk in pumpkin pies. It's kinda expensive for what it is, and difficult to resist chugging (making it more expensive), but I haven't been able to find anything else like it.
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12-17-2007 @10:31AM slorgcatcher said... i try to always keep this around during the holidays. not for eggnog-related purposes (personally,i hate the stuff) but because it is a wonderful hangover helper ;)
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12-17-2007 @11:20AM Craig said... I have to chime in with the "this tastes nothing like eggnog" folks. Although both drinks have a spiced flavor to them, the vanilla chai flavor in this does not resemble eggnog at all, other than the nutmeg component.
As for myself, when I was roaming the grocery store a few weeks ago and found myself reaching for that half-gallon of eggnog (I'm single---I so don't need to be chugging that!) I went for the Silk version instead. Less calories, less fat, less sugar, and it wasn't nearly as thick or sweet. Which is of the good---classic eggnog now is just way too thick and gives me a toothache!
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12-17-2007 @11:23AM Craig said... I should, however, add that this doesn't mean the Vanilla Chai drink from Bolthouse Farms isn't good. Oh, it is---and, as barry said above, you'll have resist chugging it. Sadly, I thought it was as expensive as it was good. It was a bit too pricey to keep on my shopping list, no matter how delicious it was. But if you've got an extra few bucks to spend, give it a try.
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12-17-2007 @2:12PM Jeff Williams said... I hate to sound like a broken record, but if Bolthouse Farms "Perfectly Protein - Vanilla Chai Tea with Soy Protein" tastes like eggnog, then my name is Kris Kringle.
It's a great, delicious product - but eggnog? No way.
How can someone write about food and not have the ability to tell two completely different products apart?
FWIW, there is a company out there that produces a soy based, egg nog FLAVORED product this time of year. It's a "Silk" soymilk, and is called "Silk Nog." I actually think it's pretty good.
http://www.silksoymilk.com/SilkNogVsDairyEggnog.aspx
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12-17-2007 @6:59PM Ryan said... Yeah Bolthouse Mango Lemonade is a life changer. So bomb.
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12-18-2007 @8:02AM Luke said... I'm not vegan, so I can drink eggnog, I just don't like how thick it is. Usually I have to get the light EggNog and then mix it with 1% or skim milk.
This problem ended when I discovered Silk Egg Nog. It tastes wonderful and has the perfect consistancy. Granted, it still has more calories than Silk Vanilla Light (which is my non-soda beverage of choice), but it is far less calorie packed than regular eggnog.
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12-19-2007 @12:43AM Susan said... I like Bolthouse Farms stuff because they have protein drink options besides soy. Which rules out this one, but whatever you like...
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