I add this to my morning coffee to get more protein in

I love my morning coffee, it’s an absolute must. However, as a running coach and athlete, I know how important it is to eat a well-rounded meal in the morning—meaning carbs, protein and healthy fats. But the truth is, sometimes I have a hard time eating an actual breakfast before my regular 5:45am workout. That’s why I was thrilled to find a quick and easy solution for adding protein to my morning coffee—Fairlife ultra-filtered milk.

It's similar to the protein coffee you find at well-known coffee shops like Dutch Bros, and while Fairlife don't advertise it as such, I've come to call it protein milk.

I use this milk like most people use creamer—although I typically use 4-6oz of it to get the protein benefit.

How it's different

One 8oz serving of Fairlife milk has 13g of protein. This is about 5g more protein than you'll find in a typical glass of milk. Plus, it is ultra-filtered so it’s lactose-free making it a good option for people with dairy intolerances.

It also contains half the sugar of normal cow's milk. And even though Fairlife's milk is ultra-filtered it still contains a significant dose of vitamin D and calcium so you won’t miss out on some of the other benefits of drinking milk.

How I use it

I make a variety of coffee drinks using this milk, putting my barista experience to good use. My go-to is a cup of regular brewed Nespresso with about 4oz of steamed chocolate Fairlife milk added to it. In the summer, I like to brew a double shot of Nespresso over ice and add 8oz of chocolate or 2% Fairlife milk to make a great iced mocha or latte.

I also like using it to make coffee protein shakes in the summer. To do this I add two shots of espresso to a blender with a cup of protein milk, a scoop of vanilla protein powder and ice. This makes a delicious high-protein caffeinated treat.

I even add this milk to pancake batter, overnight oats, hot oatmeal and cereal for an extra kick of protein. I tend to eat these things post-workout and often just have a protein coffee pre-workout.

Other Fairlife options

Fairlife also makes a few different types of protein shakes ranging from 24-42g of protein which are great post-workout recovery drink options. I am a huge fan of the 42g Core Powder Elite strawberry protein shake.

These protein shakes taste like regular milk, avoiding the weird aftertaste or texture most other premade protein shakes have.