Confused by MILK

k2d4p

I really am confused by milk. I a lot drink 2% milk. I have a husband and 2 sons and we drink milk daily, almost every meal. I am troubled by the calories and basically all the nutrition info in milk. I am fairly new to this site and since I have been tracking what I eat I have been doing really well, except milk. The calories in milk usually send me really close to going over my calories for the day. Is milk bad for you? How can it be good for you with that many calories per serving?

I have tried skim milk before and I simply don't like it. It tastes like watered down milk to me.

NoAdditives

Milk is just fine. Studies have shown that people who drink 2 8oz glasses of milk a day lose more weight than those who don't drink it. Yeah, it has some calories, but going over by a few won't hurt.

cobarlo14

I like almond breeze:
60calories for regular / almond breeze 70 for vanilla

compared to Skim Milk 90 calories

Let me know if you find anything else..

RDTaylor13

you could try switching to 1% milk instead. it will be healthier than 2%, and it tastes better than skim milk.

1FitMomof4Girls

I believe everything in moderation and it's not the best idea to "drink" too many of your calories.

mandalyn23

I was the same way...but I comprimised with myself and am now hooked on 1%. It doesn't taste like water, but has less calories than 2%. I also make sure I measure out what I am drinking/putting in my cereal...it was amazing how much over I was going with my servings. I drink a glass prior to eating and then I seem to feel fuller and I get to enjoy my milk

Good luck to you!

Aimee_PD

i drink almond milk now..90 cals per serving. comparable to skim but tastes way better!

Teerai

Natures best food! I drink alot also and think it and fruit and veggie's make for a diet you feel great on. You have lost a lot of weight on this diet so it seems to be working for you!

mynameisdumbnuts

Try switching to 1 percent. It tastes less rich than 2 percent, but way better than skim.

sandychoules

Milk is terrible for you! Do some research, people think it's a great way to get calcuim when in fact it does the exact opposite. Try rice milk or almond milk it taste the same.

Amber030583

I switched from 2% to 1% and that really seems to help. I am still lactose intolerant but I LOVE milk and will not give it up. LOL

apetty21

I drink organic fat free milk. 80 cal/cup. For some reason, I can't explain it, orgnaic fat free doesn't taste watery like non-organic. I have been able to successfully convert 3 other people to organic fat free. It's delicious!

Milk is very good for you. It is an important part of any diet. (Unless you are vegan, lactose intolerant or have been instructed by a Dr to avoid it)

DebbieW

I really am confused by milk. I a lot drink 2% milk. I have a husband and 2 sons and we drink milk daily, almost every meal. I am troubled by the calories and basically all the nutrition info in milk. I am fairly new to this site and since I have been tracking what I eat I have been doing really well, except milk. The calories in milk usually send me really close to going over my calories for the day. Is milk bad for you? How can it be good for you with that many calories per serving?

I have tried skim milk before and I simply don't like it. It tastes like watered down milk to me.

k2d4p: I used to be exactly like you, a 2% milk or go home kind of girl:drinker: . I have been successfully drinking skim milk for years now. It did take time to switch to where I am today.

First, I switched from 2% to 1% and I stayed drinking that for a long time until I was completely used to 1%. Then, I switched to skim milk. You could alternate between 1% and skim:drinker: until you get used to the taste of less fat in your milk.

Also, different brands will taste different also so don't stick only with one brand.

Milk is very good for you and study after study has proven that drinking milk as a part of our daily diet is a huge contributor to successfully loosing weight.:bigsmile:

Don't stop drinking milk!:drinker:

Good luck with gradually lessening the amount of animal fat in your milk. :flowerforyou:

odaatsue

It's hard for me not to bring my own personal feelings into this....is that okay?

Think about it - cow milk is the nutrition meant for baby cows. Just like cat milk is meant for baby cats....dog milk for baby dogs... rat milk for baby rats....human milk for human babies. You get the idea. All babies grow up and they stop drinking their mother's milk.

Who stands to gain by convincing people that they *need* to drink milk? That would be the dairy people. Do they have your best interests in mind - or theirs?

I believe a whole industry is built upon the lies we've been told.

Just my very humble opinion! :flowerforyou:

AndriaLL

I like 1% milk, but when training for long distance triathlons and sugar intake has to drop (lactose) I opt for almond milk. It still tastes good to me, and has less sugar, and therefore fewer calories per serving.

AndriaLL

And I think you should beware of soy milk...look it up and see what it does to your thyroid. I used to eat/drink a lot of it on purpose (perimenopause symptoms) and although it claims to be healthy, I have a RD who verified it is not at all what it claims and I personally need to avoid it from here on out.

gennybunny

I agree with odaatsue, as I have heard someone wise once say "why drink something that is meant to make baby cows fat" I drink almond milk and get my calcium from other sources.
Genny

CarolHudson11

Odaatsue has a great point, but I love, love, LOVE it. I can't imagine not drinking milk and I usually have a glass a day (sometimes more). I do drink the skin milk, but it's because my youngest son had open-heart surgery when he was little and the repair they did to his heart puts him at a greater risk of heart disease, so I had to cut as much of his fat intake down as I could. So, I had really good reasons for switching over. Do what you feel best, but if it worries you that much do what the others suggest and try something different, like 1% or almond milk.

CarolHudson11

Odaatsue has a great point, but I love, love, LOVE it. I can't imagine not drinking milk and I usually have a glass a day (sometimes more). I do drink the skin milk, but it's because my youngest son had open-heart surgery when he was little and the repair they did to his heart puts him at a greater risk of heart disease, so I had to cut as much of his fat intake down as I could. So, I had really good reasons for switching over. Do what you feel best, but if it worries you that much do what the others suggest and try something different, like 1% or almond milk.

*skim* not skin. lol

sandychoules

VERY WELL SAID AND VERY TRUE!!

MobiusMan

Milk is just fine. Studies have shown that people who drink 2 8oz glasses of milk a day lose more weight than those who don't drink it. Yeah, it has some calories, but going over by a few won't hurt.

These studies are run by the milk counsels of various milk producing states. be a bit skeptical. Milk is good for you but like everything...moderation is key.

A word about milk...whole milk is about 3.5-4% milk fat, so whenever you see 2%, 1% think 66% whole and 33% whole. Skim is 0% whole but still has all the good stuff.

soysos

It's hard for me not to bring my own personal feelings into this....is that okay?

Think about it - cow milk is the nutrition meant for baby cows. Just like cat milk is meant for baby cats....dog milk for baby dogs... rat milk for baby rats....human milk for human babies. You get the idea. All babies grow up and they stop drinking their mother's milk.

Who stands to gain by convincing people that they *need* to drink milk? That would be the dairy people. Do they have your best interests in mind - or theirs?

I believe a whole industry is built upon the lies we've been told.

Just my very humble opinion! :flowerforyou:

what about the cows? the modern dairy cow, at least those grown for milk, produce on average 11 gallons of milk twice a day, thats about 2-3 times as much as any calf would ever drink. if these cows are not milked they would die, it is that simple.

the fat content of commercial milk is standardized there is almost no whole milk on the market today it is almost always marketed as vitamin D milk because all the fat has been skimmed off and then added back at 3.25% and is my personal favorite. if you like 2% and can work it into your calories go for it, if you have trouble working it in cut back on the amount.

Trishkit

It's hard for me not to bring my own personal feelings into this....is that okay?

Think about it - cow milk is the nutrition meant for baby cows. Just like cat milk is meant for baby cats....dog milk for baby dogs... rat milk for baby rats....human milk for human babies. You get the idea. All babies grow up and they stop drinking their mother's milk.

Who stands to gain by convincing people that they *need* to drink milk? That would be the dairy people. Do they have your best interests in mind - or theirs?

I believe a whole industry is built upon the lies we've been told.

Just my very humble opinion! :flowerforyou:

Agreed! I love my almond, oat, and hemp milk! (Not a fan of soy, and rice is so thin.) I don't even like the taste of cow's milk anymore. Not that I would know, I suppose ... as it's been over a year since I've had any. :-)

katschi

I stopped drinking cow's milk a few years ago and now drink Blue Diamond Almond Breeze unsweetened original, vanilla or chocolate. 40 - 45 calories per cup.
Almond milk is the closest in taste to real milk, IMO.
In the US, it's fortified with Vitamin D but in Canada it's not. Not sure why.

Cow's milk has a funny taste to me now.
I still eat yogurt and cottage cheese.

wolfchild59

I was lactose intolerant for years and years so pretty much stopped drinking milk altogether and only ever had it on cereal. When I started counting calories I went looking for a new option and found Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla. It's too almondy to me to drink straight (but I never did that before anyway) and I find that I absolutely LOVE it on cereal. It's also not bad to bake with, depending on the recipe.

Soy and rice milks are both really gross to me though.

mjd0109

It sounds crazy but the milk industry has grossly exaggerated the benefits of drinking milk. It's even said that 75% of people have an undiagnosed lactose intolerance. When you're looking into milk, take into consideration where you are getting your information. If you really enjoy milk, cut it down to once a day and use soy or almond milk the rest of the time. There are plenty if alternatives for getting your calcium!

soysos

it is pretty much only those of northern European decent that continue to produce lactase after infancy. to those who can it is not only possible to survive but live a long healthy life eating nothing but bread dairy products and the occasional cured meat.

Spicer1

dairy products are made from milk...

taletreader

Milk and dairy are among the foods that people have extremely strong opinions about. It doesn't help that milk's benefits were exaggerated for a while, and then a huge backlash happened. Some point (not incorrectly!) to the content in saturated fat, others seem to be mainly grossed out and find health-related justifications.

To the best of my understanding, *if* you're not lactose intolerant (and how likely that is varies hugely with geographic and ethnic origin -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Laktoseintoleranz-1.svg ), milk is *just*fine*. Fermented milk products (cheeses, yogurt, kefir) are excellent preparations with long histories of human consumption behind them. You need to be aware of the fat and the sugar (lactose) content, which will add to calories.

So maybe in your case it's all a portion control issue -- if you have a 250 ml glass of 2% milk with every meal, that's a very large contribution to your daily calories, sugar and saturated fat.

As for which fat content to choose, my own story is that where I grew up, semi-skimmed meant 1.5 %, and that was what I was used to. The first time I encountered skimmed was when an American friend (in France) served some with coffee -- and pouring it into my coffee it hardly whitened the dark liquid. I thought the milk had turned and have kept a revulsion to skimmed. Where I'm now, the choice is often 2%, 1.7 % (my preference) or 1 % (a little thin). I have milk pretty much every day in coffee or with cereal/yogurt/oatmeal.

soysos

also lactobacillus can replace lactase in your stomach, eat some yogurt, with live active cultures, any even someone who is lactose intolerant can have all the milk they want without the discomfort.

who does the studies doesn't matter as long as they have the evidence to back up the claim. those studies paid for by the dairy industry where conducted by private firms, and have the evidence. if the evidence had been negative it would be a lot easier to keep it quiet then to pass off a lie, not to mention a hell of a lot more legal.

chrish1981

i drink almond milk now..90 cals per serving. comparable to skim but tastes way better!

I like it, too, but the sugar was worrying me, so they make an unsweetened version that, if you throw in a little Truvia or something, tastes great and is only 40 cals per serving!