Low Fat vs Whole Milk: Which is Better?

No, low fat milk has pretty much the same sugar content as full fat milk as long as it’s not flavoured. 

That’s that question answered. Need we go on? Well yes, because the whole low fat vs full fat milk argument is a bit more complex than that.

Is Low Fat Milk Good for you?

With the number of choices available when it comes to dairy, you have the choice of skim or full fat and a plethora of options in between. But the question remains – is low fat milk better than full cream?

According to this article in News.com.au, low fat milk does have its dietary benefits. A glass of full cream milk contains almost 10 grams of fat and roughly 738 kilojoules compared to low fat or skim milk, which has between two grams and zero grams of fat and between 495 – 375 kilojoules.

Benefits of Drinking Low Fat Milk

Low fat milk is said to be slightly higher in calcium and protein than regular milk and you don’t have added sugar as commonly perceived. Let us find out what are the other advantages of choosing low fat milk in your diet.

Low Fat Milk Might Help you Lose Weight

Low fat milk might help you lose weight. But here’s the problem: the moment marketers stick something as provocatively diet-conscious on the side of a milk carton as ‘low fat’, we think we’re doing ourselves a big favour.

The danger is that we believe it and see this shunning of full fat milk as a cornerstone of our diet and general health. It’s far from it. The only way low fat milk will make the slightest bit of difference to your weight is if it’s part of a much grander healthy eating plan.

In other words, don’t believe the hype. A low fat drink here doesn’t mean you’ve qualified for a high calorie treat there; especially not if you continue to cook with butter and devour pies and certainly not if you’re serious about losing weight. Balance your diet, don’t juggle it.

Low Fat Milk has no More Sugar Than Whole Milk

Well, there’s a plus; sugar is one of the direst substances known to the human diet. Of course, if your low fat or whole milk has ‘strawberry’ or ‘chocolate’ on the label, the sugar content goes through the roof.

Suffice to say you are no better off with low fat milk when it comes to sugar.

Low Fat Milk has Less Fat and Calories

The case for milk – be it low fat or whole milk – varies depending on who the expert of the day happens to be and there are some highly contradictory viewpoints out there. This Forbes article, for instance, shares the views of a Harvard expert that low fat milk may not be as healthy as we thought.

Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and curbing the amount of processed foods would ensure that there’s no difference between full fat and low fat milk and it’d all boil down to your personal taste preference.

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