Milk is rich in high-quality protein, calcium, potassium and other nutrients, and the price is not expensive, supermarkets, convenience stores can buy, is an easy to obtain and high nutritional value of food.
However, there are many types of milk on the market, one of which is divided into whole milk, low-fat milk and skim milk according to fat content. Parents will have a lot of small question marks when choosing, and they don't know how to choose. After reading today's article, you may understand.
The difference between whole milk, low-fat milk, and skim milk
The main difference is the fat content:
Whole milk – the fat in milk is all retained, and the fat content is about 3.5%.
Low-fat milk – The fat in milk is partially retained, and the fat content is about 1%.
Skim milk – all the fat in milk is removed, and the fat content is 0, and if there is, it generally does not exceed 0.2%.
Because of the different fat content, the nutrition and taste are also different.
Because whole milk retains the fatty-soluble vitamin A and other nutrients in the fat to the greatest extent, its nutritional value is relatively high, the taste is more mellow and thick, and it is better to drink.
The nutritional value of low-fat milk is lower than that of whole milk, and the taste is smooth, after all, there is still about 1% fat.
Skimmed milk has the lowest nutritional value among the three because it removes fat, and its taste is relatively dull.
Is it better for my child to drink whole milk?
Although whole milk has the best nutrition and taste of all three, it does not mean that it is suitable for all children.
For the vast majority of healthy children, whole milk can be drunk after the age of 1. Because fat is a nutrient with high energy density, it can provide energy to children who are growing rapidly, and it provides fatty acids necessary for brain development.
However, if it is an overweight, obese child, 2% reduced milk can be drunk during the age of 1-2 years. After the age of 2 years, you can choose low-fat or skim milk.
I once saw an obese child, more than 8 years old, drinking 1,000 ml of pure milk every day, can eat nearly 500 grams of red meat, obviously, the need to limit the amount of milk, but also need to drink low-fat or skim milk
To summarize:
1. Healthy children over 1 year old drink whole milk.
2. Children who are overweight, obese, have a family history of obesity, hypertension or heart disease, drink 2% of reduced milk at the age of 1 to 2 years old. Over 2 years of age, drink 1% low-fat milk or skim milk.
For 1-year-olds, if the child does not like to drink pure milk, it does not matter, you can consume the same amount of cheese, sugar-free yogurt and other dairy products to facilitate the child to get enough calcium. In addition to maintaining a certain amount of milk, you also need to pay attention to the intake of green leafy vegetables, tofu, sesame paste and other calcium-rich foods.
* Images from the Internet, intrusion and deletion
Children's nutritionist Liu Changwei
Children's nutrition | scientific parenting | maternal and infant health
Pass on professional and reliable maternal and infant science knowledge