Have you "Herd?" Skim Milk is Good!

Did you know the average kid drinks 31 gallons of milk per year? Whether your family drinks skim, 2%, or whole milk, read about some research on the benefits of milk.

Milk Benefits

• Bristol University researchers found that children with increased milk intake were associated with faster walking pace and significantly better balance as a senior citizen.
• Drinking two to three glasses of milk a day, (skim, 2 percent, or whole) can help lower the likelihood of both heart attack and stroke.
• Cow’s milk is one of the most concentrated natural sources of calcium. One eight-ounce glass provides 300 mg of calcium, and drinking a few glasses of milk each day (either plain as a beverage, or in cereal, oatmeal, or a healthy smoothie) can go a long way toward helping you meet your daily calcium goal. Read more about the benefits of milk here.

How much milk do you need?

• 1-3 years old: Two glasses of milk per day to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D and iron
• 4-8 years old: Three glasses of milk (800 mg calcium) per day
•  9-18 years old: Four glasses of milk (1,300 mg calcium) per day
• 18-50 years old: Three glasses of milk (1,000 mg calcium) per day
• 50+ years old: Four glasses of milk (1,200 mg calcium) per day

Skim Milk

•  Skim milk contains less fat than whole or 2%—that’s why they call it nonfat milk!
• Some research has shown that children drinking skim and 1 percent were heavier, potentially because when children are overweight their parents are more likely to give them skim milk.
• To turn skim milk white, some companies fortify their product with powdered skim
• SMC’s milk is all-natural—no powdered substances! 

Whole Milk

• Whole milk has fat calories that are important for growth and brain development, which is important for young children
• If you love your skim milk, you don’t have to switch back to whole milk. Instead, focus on avoiding sugary beverages and juice, watching less TV, and getting more exercise, which have much more impact than your choice of milk!

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/show-and-tell/sasha-emmons/skim-milk

http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/cholesterol/is-skim-milk-making-you-fat-1

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/milk/i/05_milk_2.htm