Van Leer Jr., argued that the American people didn't know what they were missing:īy the 1980s, skim milk had become a common purchase at American grocery stores, but it hadn't yet overtaken its whole-fat competition. The writer noted that skim milk had "little commercial value" since the product was so unpopular, but the country's assistant budget director, Carlos C. In 1942, the New York Times published an article detailing how powdered skim milk might "help win the war" by adding more nutrients to the food shipped to British soldiers overseas. Indeed, skim milk has become one symbol of the fight for healthy eating and, by extension, a healthier population.īut people haven't always had such positive feelings about skim milk. Secretary of Agriculture and congressman from Kansas, at a recent Atlantic panel discussion on health care. "When I was in Congress, you couldn't even get low-fat milk in school lunches!" declared Dan Glickman, the former U.S. Since 2012, public schools have been required to serve only non-fat and low-fat milk to students, a change brought on by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.Īccording to some, this has been a real victory. It's been that way since 1985, the first time the Department of Agriculture (USDA) definitively recommended a switch to low-fat dairy as a way of managing fat intake. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) - Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.Three cups a day: That's how much skim milk the government says Americans should drink. With soy or almond milk, check the Nutrition Facts labels for adequate calcium and minimal added sugars. Almond milk - while not unhealthy - is less nutrient dense, especially in terms of its limited protein content. Unsweetened soy milk is the closest match nutritionally, plus you get a few grams of healthy fats that you won’t get from skim milk. Still, not everyone can tolerate dairy milk, and some may prefer to avoid animal products - or simply want to mix in something different. In summary, it’s tough to beat dairy milk for balanced nutrition - with nonfat skim milk the best choice for most adults. Remember, unflavored white dairy milk will have sugar listed on the label, but it’s lactose, which is naturally occurring milk sugar. Checking the Nutrition Facts label is the best way to find a taste you like with minimal added sugars. You may find 4 to more than 20 grams of added sugars in a sweetened - or flavored - beverage. However, for some, the taste of unsweetened soy or almond milk can be an issue. Unflavored white dairy milk and unsweetened soy and almond milk contain no added sugars. That said, your body may not absorb all of the calcium in soy milk since soy contains a natural compound (phytate) that inhibits calcium absorption.Īnd then there are added sugars. Many soy or almond milks are fortified with calcium to at least match the amount of calcium in dairy milk. When considering calcium, dairy milk naturally has about 300 milligrams per cup, and dairy products generally are considered the best absorbed source of calcium. Of note, some newer nut milk varieties have added pea protein. Traditional almond milk lags behind with just 1 gram per cup. Soy milk comes in a close second with about 7 grams per cup. Soy and almond milks contain about 2 to 4 grams of fat per cup, but those fats are predominantly healthy, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.Ĭomparing protein content, dairy milk takes the protein title with a little over 8 grams per cup. This is important to pay attention to, as the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 7 percent of calories in your overall diet. In terms of fat content, skim milk has negligible amounts of fat, but the amounts of cholesterol-raising saturated fat increase stepwise with 1 percent, 2 percent or whole milk. Things that are important to focus on are fat content, protein, calcium and the amount of added sugars, if any, in each product. Generally, you can break down the benefits by reviewing the nutritional information for each beverage. However, there are wide nutritional differences, depending on the type of product and the brand. Are plant-based milks, such as soy milk or almond milk, healthier options?ĪNSWER: Cow’s milk (dairy) and other plant-based beverages, including soy milk and almond milk, all can be healthy choices. DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve always enjoyed drinking a glass of milk with most meals, but now there are so many options other than cow’s milk.
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