Got options? You sure do if you’re perusing the milk cooler at the grocery store these days.
Got questions? We’re here to help.
Here’s a look at some of the milk varieties you can check out before checkout:
All about dairy
While consumption of traditional cow’s milk has been trending downward for decades – according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, people born in the 1990s drink less than those born in the 1970s, who drink less than those born in the 1950s – it’s still the most popular milk choice for American consumers and a valued source of vital nutrients like protein, calcium and vitamin D.
Attempting to align to the tastes of more health- and fitness-conscious consumers, dairy milk is now being marketed as the perfect protein-packed choice for muscle recovery after workouts.
Within the dairy segment, of course, you still have multiple options.
Decisions in the dairy aisle
Dairy milk is subdivided by the percentage of milk fat, from whole milk (which contains at least 3 ½-percent fat) to skim. “The nutritional difference is the fat, calories and cholesterol,” said Karah Stanley, an outpatient dietician at St. Elizabeth’s Weight Management Center.
You can also choose flavored milks or products like buttermilk and egg nog.
Stanley said within the dairy segment, skim or one-percent are your best options, giving you the benefits of protein and calcium without the additional fat, calories and cholesterol of two-percent or whole milk.
What if I don’t want to drink dairy?
Options in this segment of the marketplace, less than 10-percent but growing, include almond, coconut and soy.
Originally conceived as a milk substitute for those with dietary restrictions, such as lactose intolerance, the plant-based milks can vary in nutritional content. They can be fortified with vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12.
Almond milk, now the most popular non-dairy alternative, has benefited from “a really good marketing push,” Stanley said. “A lot of people really like the way it tastes.”
But an eight-ounce glass of almond milk contains only one gram of protein, compared with eight grams for dairy or soy, Stanley said.
Coconut milk also is lower in protein and higher in saturated fat.
Soy milk is the best source of protein among the non-dairy milks, Stanley said.
Plant-based milks may also contain additives such as thickening agents. Always check labels carefully, Stanley advised.
