milk: what do you drink?

cbnorris

So I've recently switched from 2% to almond milk. I was reading an article on webMD and came across this:

“Protein contains leucine, an amino acid that seems to protect you from muscle loss during a diet,” says Stuart M. Phillips, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Skim milk can help even more: Phillips and his team tracked 56 men who pumped iron five days a week for three months and found that those who downed two cups of fat-free milk soon after their workout built more muscle — and lost more flab — than those who drank soy milk or a flavored-carbohydrate drink. “We have evidence that the benefit is very similar for women,” Phillips notes. “They don’t put on as much muscle as men, but they lose more fat.”

I'm now debating switching back to milk, maybe 1% or skim instead.

What are your thoughts? What do you drink and why?

LuckyLeprechaun

2%. Because I think it tastes the best. 1% is a little too "thin" for my tastebuds, and skim tastes like chalky water. I've heard a lot about drinking lowfat chocolate milk after a workout...both here on MFP and my son's football coach also told the boys to do it. Something about the protein+sugars is a great combo apparently. I don't work out hard enough to feel like I need this, though :blushing:

shanerylee

Skim. and I switched my kids over too.

jewelinvic

2% in order to absorb the vitamin D in order to absorb the calcium. You need 2% to do this.

TheMaidOfAstolat

1 % when I do drink milk. I usually will drink either soy/almond/hemp milk and I really like kefir.
Forgot to mention- I only drink organic.

NOLA_Meg

I will always have regular milk in my diet, probably because I"m from the Midwest, but because for me it is the best way I can get calcium into my diet on a regular basis. Calcium is a key component for losing weight and for building lean muscle, milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese- all important in moderation. I switched from 2% to 1% for the calories but I am thinking of going back up to 2% because while 2% has more fat and calories, 1% and skim have more sugar and carbs- so it depends on how it fits with your diet and needs.

kltobin2010

In general, I'm not a HUGE milk drinker, but I know its very good for your body, so I drink Skim. My kids are young so they drink Whole. Sometimes I mix my milk with Skim and Whole because the Saturated Fat in milk is good for you. It's the same kind if fat found in avocados and coconut milk!

TheMaidOfAstolat

In general, I'm not a HUGE milk drinker, but I know its very good for your body, so I drink Skim. My kids are young so they drink Whole. Sometimes I mix my milk with Skim and Whole because the Saturated Fat in milk is good for you. It's the same kind if fat found in avocados and coconut milk!

Actually saturated fat needs to be avoided when possible (it's the unsaturated fats that are good for you).

cbnorris

I wonder what it would taste like if I mixed almond milk with 2%

I originally switched to almond milk for the lower calories. Plus, I had seen a thread on here where people were talking about how good it was. I actually quite like the taste but I'm starting to realize that fewer calories often times does not mean better for you.

BetterSexy

Maybe you should try a combination... I prefer rice milk in my cereal, chocolate soy as a treat, and skim cows milk any other time... I am phasing animal milks out of my diet due to other reasons. Good luck!

erickirb

I drink a variety of Milk and milk substitutes. Mostly 1% milk, with some vanilla soy milk, and even less almond milk.

00trayn

I have to drink soy milk... I'm lactose intolerance and I can't stand the taste of milk since I haven't really drank it for the past 23 years. I choose it over almond milk because it does have a higher amount of protein per glass (6g for 8z instead of just 1g for almond). I take a multivitamin to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients since I can't have milk. I'm a little envious of all the benefits you can get drinking milk. It would make me too ill thought.

erickirb

I wonder what it would taste like if I mixed almond milk with 2%

I originally switched to almond milk for the lower calories. Plus, I had seen a thread on here where people were talking about how good it was. I actually quite like the taste but I'm starting to realize that fewer calories often times does not mean better for you.

It tastes great, I mix vanilla soy or almond milk with 1% at about 2 to one with milk being the 2. I do this on cereal too, and I don't need to add any sugar.

acureese

I prefer light soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Aside from being lactose intolerant (it took me til I was 21 to figure that out! ), I've read a lot of research that makes me personally want to stay away from/cut down on dairy. One book if you're interested in reading anything about it (and eating animal products in general) by a famous nutrition researcher is "The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell. It's based on the biggest epidemiological study ever done in nutrition, and the findings are astounding! :noway: . Btw, I've cut out dairy and meat (still eat fish though), and by incorporating more plant sources of calcium and protein have been able to put on more muscle than I ever did before on a meat/dairy diet. :drinker:

TheMaidOfAstolat

I wonder what it would taste like if I mixed almond milk with 2%

I originally switched to almond milk for the lower calories. Plus, I had seen a thread on here where people were talking about how good it was. I actually quite like the taste but I'm starting to realize that fewer calories often times does not mean better for you.

Almond milk does lack the protein content of milk (but for those of us of the vegetarian persuasion almond milk is great)

Behavior_Modification

Skim....all the way. I've grown up drinking it so I've acquired a taste for it and even 1% tastes weird. But, I like that you get the benefit of the protein without all the extra calories and fat.

cbnorris

I feel as if I'm slightly lactose intolerant as well. Milk always upsets my stomach if I drink too much, but I'm fine if I drink just a little bit.

jmb1510

I choose skim milk. I have some in my cereal each morning and then use it to make my chocolate milk recovery drinks. I like the flavor, the no fat and the protein.

cbnorris

I prefer light soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Aside from being lactose intolerant (it took me til I was 21 to figure that out! ), I've read a lot of research that makes me personally want to stay away from/cut down on dairy. One book if you're interested in reading anything about it (and eating animal products in general) by a famous nutrition researcher is "The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell. It's based on the biggest epidemiological study ever done in nutrition, and the findings are astounding! :noway: . Btw, I've cut out dairy and meat (still eat fish though), and by incorporating more plant sources of calcium and protein have been able to put on more muscle than I ever did before on a meat/dairy diet. :drinker:

What are good plant sources of calcium?

Naniflora

Very little milk anymore. I am one of those who loves milk in any form. I have to limit my intake as I would drink the whole half gallon. I drink Crystal lite, and Walmart's brand which is pretty good. I like my tea unsweetened so there is no problem there. I drink a lot of water. Spend lots of time in the bathroom. LOL

newbierun14

I'm a milk drinker. I drink at least a glass a day, mostly because I just love the taste so much. I usually have my glass right after my run. Milk has a great source of easy to break down carbohydrates and protein. The carbohydrates go right into refueling the body and the protein goes to help repair the muscle fiber that was broken down while exercising. Also the myths about whole milk being better for you are mostly false. If you are a toddler, than whole milk is great because it's a great way for kids to get calories for growth. However as an adult, you can get all of the benefits from milk by drinking skim.

jackpotclown

I drink skim almost all of the time, and use it to make a vanilla recovery shake (26 g protein per scoop + 8 g protein from the milk=good enough recovery for me )

TheMaidOfAstolat

At the bottom of the link are some great sources of non dairy based calcium.
http://www.vegparadise.com/calcium.html

Note: this is a vegetarian/vegan site and while we won't all agree about what's on the site, it's a great referance for non-animal based nutrients.

AndriaLL

Skim if on cereal, lowfat chocolate after a workout (I've read studies where this is better for building muscle/losing fat than any of those expensive protein drinks) and 1% any other time. All organic.

OctoberBabe

I drink 2% because I think anything lower taste like water and is to thin. I have drank 2% so long whole milk to me is to thick. I use to be a big milk drinker untill I started watching my calories. I miss it sometimes:( (especially with oreo cookies...LOL)

NOLA_Meg

I prefer light soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Aside from being lactose intolerant (it took me til I was 21 to figure that out! ), I've read a lot of research that makes me personally want to stay away from/cut down on dairy. One book if you're interested in reading anything about it (and eating animal products in general) by a famous nutrition researcher is "The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell. It's based on the biggest epidemiological study ever done in nutrition, and the findings are astounding! :noway: . Btw, I've cut out dairy and meat (still eat fish though), and by incorporating more plant sources of calcium and protein have been able to put on more muscle than I ever did before on a meat/dairy diet. :drinker:

I haven't read this, but I have heard of it from others in my field. His main argument seems to be that those who eat more animal protein are prone to more chronic disease, well that makes some sense if you consider that those who eat more animal protein are probably wealthier and can afford more meat so they probably drive more and have a less active job, etc. There are so many confounding factors involved in looking at the relationship between protein consumption and chronic disease... just doubtful this is the end-all-be-all study. Also, the fact that his research went straight to a book rather than a peer-reviewed journal...also questionable...I'd be interested in any other papers or meta-analysis using his data...
On another note, the rates of osteoporosis for Asian women are astounding, indicating a deficit in calcium.

aippolito1

I drink 2%

MommyofLily

I am allergic to all dairy (recently found this out about 2 months ago...) and I prefer almond milk because it is lower in sugar. I like the taste of soy milk better because it's creamier, but the sugar content is still pretty high for soy milk and is really high in regular milk. Before I found out about my allergies, I drank skim milk and definitely preferred skim to 1%, 2% or whole milk. I would skip milk altogether, but I like to eat cereal and make smoothies so almond is my go to source for that.

mommyhof3

2% in order to absorb the vitamin D in order to absorb the calcium. You need 2% to do this.

We worked in the Dairy business for a long time and the only difference between skim, 1%, 2% and whole milk is the fat

Dairyland - 1% Milk
Servings:
Calories 110 Sodium 120 mg
Total Fat 3 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 2 g Total Carbs 12 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 12 g
Trans 0 g Protein 9 g
Cholesterol 10 mg
Vitamin A 10% Calcium 30%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%

Dairyland - 2% Milk
Servings:
Calories 130 Sodium 120 mg
Total Fat 5 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 3 g Total Carbs 12 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 12 g
Trans 0 g Protein 9 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 10% Calcium 30%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%

Dairyland - Skim Milk
Servings:
Calories 90 Sodium 125 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 13 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 13 g
Trans 0 g Protein 9 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Vitamin A 10% Calcium 30%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%

Dairyland - Homogenized Milk 3.25%
Servings:
Calories 160 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 8 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 5 g Total Carbs 12 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 12 g
Trans 0 g Protein 8 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Vitamin A 10% Calcium 30%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%

I think some of the measurements on here that say 0 are a mistake but I can't find the data to fill in the spaces

bstamps12

I drink skim. Honestly, I didn't notice much of a taste difference when I first switched from 2%. I love the taste of skim milk and when I accidentally drink my daughter's whole milk, I feel like I'm drinking a milkshake because it's so thick!

On a side note, I didn't know some people were so fired up about milk!

I agree with mommyhof3...I did a ton of research on milk because my 2 1/2 yr old daughter is really small and while dr. recommends switching to 2% milk when kids turn 2, I felt like she still needed the whole milk because of her size....after tons of research, I found that truly the only difference is the fat and vitamin D!

mrsw510

I switched from 2% to skim when I started trying to loss.