MooTopia

I am fortunate enough to be one of those people who can consume dairy into their 30s. I love milk, and especially cheese and ice cream. I have noticed however, that the amount I can handle per day has diminished over time. Cheese doesn't seem to affect me much, but I can now overdo it with milk. A glass or two of milk per day is no big deal, but at three (say around 24 ounces) I know I've overdone it.

I decided to try MooTopia, HEB's lactose-free, low-carb milk. It's been on the market for several months, but it's only recently been reliably available at my neighborhood store. They start with regular milk and process it by adding lactose enzymes, somehow reducing the simple sugar content further, and increasing the amount of dairy proteins. It's vitamin-fortified like regular milk. It's marketed as being good for the lactose-intolerant, diabetic, or low-carb dieter. I don't fit into those categories, but if I can have the calcium, vitamins, and flavor of milk I'm happy.

My first taste of MooTopia was that it wasn't as sweet as normal milk. (I tried the 2% variety, though it is also available in whole and skim varieties.) Lactose is a very nice, sweet sugar, and it's distinctive flavor is part of what makes cow's milk and cream so delicious. MooTopia has a nice rich texture, and it's not at all watery. It's very filling. I've grown accustomed to it, the way that I once learned to prefer artificial sweetener in soda to the corn syrups in the regular flavors. Considering I've replaced at least one meal a day with a greens salad, I'm happy to have a protein-rich drink option.

What I don't like about it is that it's very expensive, 75–100% more expensive than HEB's regular milk brands by volume. I can drink one of the larger containers (64 oz., approx $2.60) in two or three days. However, I like how I never feel bloated any more, no matter if I go back for seconds, or thirds.