A complex and nutritious food such as milk should not be missing from our table any day. But as the offer on the market is becoming more and more diversified, it is good to know which type of milk to choose according to our nutritional needs.
Cow’s milk: the most common and consumed milk, it is rich in calcium, vitamins (A, D, B), potassium, and essential fatty acids. Most often, 3.5% fat milk is consumed, which contains approximately 75 calories/100 ml.
- Semi-skimmed milk (1.5% fat) has slightly fewer calories, but during skimming, it loses some of its nutrients, such as vitamins A and D. Thus, the specialists’ recommendation is to opt for the formula with 3.5% fat, because we benefit from an intake of nutrients, and the fats contained do not endanger our health, under the conditions of moderate consumption of 200-300 ml/day.
- Low-fat milk (0.5%-1% fat) is a less common variant and is strictly recommended for people who do not want to exceed a certain number of calories. What many of us do not know is that the difference between a glass of milk with 3.5% fat and one with 0.5% is only 20% calories.
Condensed milk: it is the milk obtained by evaporating a significant amount of water from cow’s milk by boiling, along with sugar or sweeteners, which give it a viscous consistency and a sweet and pleasant taste. It is one of the most common types of milk preservation, less common here, but very often used in other countries.
Goat’s milk: it has recently become more and more appreciated, being the closest in protein structure to mother’s milk. It is rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Sheep’s milk: it is less often found in this form, as it is usually transformed into cheese, yogurt, or other preparations. It is somewhat creamier than cow’s milk, due to its higher fat content, but it also contains vitamins A, B, calcium, and magnesium.
Lately, however, dairy products of animal origin have become more and more subject to criticism, given that plant-based milk options are becoming more and more diverse. However, in a healthy diet, both types of protein (vegetable and animal) have their role, and excesses are not recommended in any direction. Vegetable dairy products are appreciated and recommended as part of a healthy diet, only if they are obtained through a process that does not involve preservatives or other substances harmful to the body. For example, fresh coconut or almond milk prepared by us and consumed the same day, is a healthy and truly nutritious food, compared to canned soy milk consumed a few weeks after preparation.
Coconut milk: comes from what many of us call a complex and extremely healthy “superfood” – the coconut. It is a beneficial food for our body, due to its content of fatty acids and very good quality proteins, which provide an increased supply of energy and help burn fat. Also, coconut improves the level of good cholesterol (HDL) and helps lower the harmful one (LDL). Coconut milk is easily obtained even at home through an extremely simple recipe. It is tasty and very nutritious, replacing a portion of milk of animal origin at any time.
Almond milk: it is a very healthy food in which we find the pleasant aroma of almonds. It is prepared quickly and is very nutritious thanks to the intake of vitamins, minerals, and healthy vegetable fats. You can find the recipe right here: almond milk recipe.
Soy milk: although it is the most popular plant-based milk, this is an intensively processed food, being recommended for consumption only very rarely. In addition, the intake of nutrients is not as qualitative as in the case of freshly prepared vegetable milk, therefore if we opt for vegetable milk, it is good to choose fresh and much healthier milk.
