Milk Facts-Whole Milk Vs. Skim Milk
Which milk really is better for you? Whole or skim?
It’s skim! Some people still think that yes, whole milk is more fattening, but it has more calcium and nutrients than skim milk. That is wrong!
There is no reason to drink whole milk. It is higher in calories and fat, and actually has slightly less calcium than skim milk. Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts per 1 cup serving.
Whole Milk
- 150 calories
- 8g fat
- 290 mg calcium
Skim Milk
- 90 calories
- .5g fat
- 316 mg calcium
Both whole milk and skim milk are also excellent sources of protein, phosphorous and potassium.
Switching out whole milk for skim milk will save you a lot of calories and fat, which will help you lose weight. And, for those of you out there that think you have to use whole milk to cook or bake with-think again! You can use skim milk for everything you need to make. I have been using skim milk for years, and have noticed not one difference in the way my meals or baked goods turn out.
So, start making the switch. If you are currently using whole milk, do not jump right to skim milk. Switch right now to 2% milk for about a week. Then, switch down to 1% for about a week. Then, finally down to skim milk. It’s just like anything else, it will take a little bit to get used to, but if you stick with it, you WILL get used to it!
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joe | January 11th, 2009 at 11:56 am #
thats the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard. whole milk has many more nutrients, good fats(that keep you fuller longer, reducing calorie intake), calcium, and vitamin a and d! stick with whole milk, just dont drink 8 glasses a day! fatty
admin | January 11th, 2009 at 6:29 pm #
I’m sorry, but wherever you got this information, you have not been well informed. Whole milk DOES NOT have good fats in it-it only has saturated fats. Good fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats-you find these fats in foods such as nuts, fish, olive oil, flaxseed, etc. And, skim milk DOES HAVE vitamin A & D, and has more calcium than whole milk. Skim milk is hands down the better choice. Lower calories, much lower fat, more calcium, and all the vitamins and minerals that whole milk has, but healthier for you!
jim | January 12th, 2009 at 3:22 am #
admin is right, if you take any college level organic chem class you will learn all about saturated and the different unsaturated fats. and the part of the milk that has the calcium is the liquidy part of the milk not the creamy part, so if you take away the cream and just have skim milk you have a higher percentage of the liquidy calcium filled part of the milk. skim milk is also great for athletes because it has lost of protein too. good stuff.
Kim | May 5th, 2009 at 3:21 am #
I’m sorry, I can’t agree. A study in the Archives of Pediatric Medicine, conducted by Harvard researchers, showed skim milk was more fattening than full-cream milk because of the higher sugar content (check – Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:543-550). From personal experience, lower fat milks give me headaches and make me nauseous because of the higher lactose – or to be more precise the inability to break down lactose because of the low fat content; I’ve never had any issues with full-cream milk. Both my husband and I run long distance and drink full-fat milk and eat full-fat yoghurt (without that sugary muck added) – we’re both very thin and very healthy
admin | May 5th, 2009 at 11:48 am #
Kim, I did read that study too. What was found was: children who drank more milk gained more weight; children who drank more 1% and skim milk had larger weight gains than those who drank smaller amounts of 1% and skim milk; and that it was the dietary calcium that correlated to the weight gain, not the dietary fat in the milk. What this basically says is that if you drink more milk, of any kind, you could gain weight. This is because all milk has calories. So, if you increase your calories, you can gain weight. Even skim milk has calories. If you drink 4 glasses a day, that is consuming about 360 calories. If you do not get enough physical exercise to burn the extra calories off, then you will gain weight.
You and your husband, being long distance runners, burn a lot of calories. So, you generally need more calories then an average person. I bet you guys can probably eat almost anything you want and you burn it off
Don’t we all wish we could do that! (We can, if we get lots of exercise)!
Skim milk does contain slightly more carbs per serving, thus containing slightly more lactose than whole milk. Those that are lactose-intolerant may notice slightly more effects by drinking skim milk than whole milk. The amount of carbs between the two is very negligible though, only about a 1-2 grams of carbs per serving difference. Those that have difficulty digesting the lactose (milk sugars) in milk, should look for lactose free milks that are available.
The facts remain, though, that for most everyone, especially those who need to lose weight or lower their cholesterol, the best milk to drink is skim milk. It has less calories, no saturated fat, more calcium, and more potassium.