Costco is selling multiple flavors of the Fairlife Protein Shakes and by the looks of things they are incredibly popular. I bought a case of the chocolate flavored shakes and can understand what all of the fuss is about!
Keep reading and we will cover:
- What Makes the Fairlife Shakes Good
- Customer Reviews of Fairlife Shakes
- Nutrition Plan Shakes vs Core Power Shakes
- Are the Shakes a Costco Value?
Why Are Fairlife Protein Shakes Good?
What sets the Fairlife shakes apart is the fact that the milk is ultra-filtered. The ultra-filtration process removes the lactose from the milk while concentrating the protein and calcium. Just to make sure that all of the lactose is removed, Fairlife adds the Lactase Enzyme to the drink so any residual lactose is broken down before consumption.
It is estimated that 12% of all Americans and 20% of African Americans are lactose intolerant. These numbers are on the low end of previous studies with some numbers suggesting that almost 70% of the global population can’t properly digest lactose.
These shakes are also naturally gluten free.
The end result of Fairlife’s ultra filtration process is a drink that is creamy, easier to digest and loaded with protein.
Customer Reviews of Fairlife Protein Shakes
I liked the chocolate shakes and wanted to see what other people thought so I pulled up the customer reviews from Amazon. I was amazed to find that these shakes had almost 14,000 reviews!
It looks like 91% of folks love the shakes and 5% of folks don’t.
Some of the positive comments include:
- Best tasting protein drink I can find. Basically tastes like chocolate milk, with more protein and less sugar.
- Best chocolate protein shake out there! No after taste, no nasty taste. It’s truly a good chocolate milk. Great job to the makers for getting it right!
- They are delicious!! I can’t believe how tasty. No after taste, no stomach discomfort. Incredibly good. I actually look forward to drinking them.
Almost all of the negative comments had to do with Amazon including things about price, delivery taking too long, not getting a full order, etc.
Fairlife Nutrition Plan Shakes vs Core Power Shakes
Fairlife has two different types of protein shakes; Core Power and Nutrition Plan. Both types of shakes are available at Costco in different flavors.
Nutrition Plan Shakes
The Nutrition Plan Shakes come in 11.5 ounce bottles and are available in the following flavors:
- Chocolate
- Salted Caramel
- Vanilla
- Strawberry
At my Costco I could only find the Chocolate and Salted Caramel. I don’t know if these were the only two flavors offered or if the other two flavors were simply sold out.
These Nutritional Plan Shakes have the following nutritional information for a single serving (1 bottle):
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 2.5g (3% DV)
- Cholesterol: 10mg (3% DV)
- Sodium: 230mg (10% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 4g (3% DV)
- Protein: 30g (60% DV)
These shakes are relatively low calories, low sugar and packed with protein. If you are looking for a meal replacement shake, or something to curb your afternoon hunger, then this is the product you want.
Core Power Shakes
The Core Power Shakes come in 14 ounce bottles and are available in the following flavors:
- Chocolate
- Banana
- Vanilla
- Strawberry Banana
At my Costco I could only find the Strawberry Banana flavor,
These Core Power Shakes have the following nutritional information for a single serving (1 bottle):
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 4.5g (6% DV)
- Cholesterol: 20mg (7% DV)
- Sodium: 280mg (12% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 7g (3% DV)
- Protein: 26g (52% DV)
The Core Power Shakes are really similar to the Nutritional Plan Shakes but have a few more calories and added electrolytes. The target market for these shakes is for gym rats who want a tasty post workout recovery drink.
Fairlife has a different version of their Core Power Shakes, Core Power Elite, with even more protein (42g) but this product is not available through Costco.
Are the Fairlife Shakes a Costco Value?
I bought the 18 pack of 11.5 ounce Nutrition Plan chocolate shakes at Costco for $24.99 which works out to a cost of $0.121 per ounce.
You can buy a 12 pack of the same shakes at Sam’s Club for $16.98 which works out to a cost of $0.123 per ounce.
This means that you will save $0.002 per ounce….nothing really….when you buy the shakes at Costco.
Alright, so these shakes are not a Costco exclusive bargain but they are an excellent product!
