Skim Milk Vs Fat Free Milk

A glass of milk is considered to be a complete source of various vitamins and minerals. It provides us with almost all the required nutrients. There are myriad health benefits of milk but if your question specifically is “how to evaluate skim milk vs fat free milk?”, here’s the answer. This article will definitely help you to take your pick.

Traditionally, people had the option to drink only dairy milk or whole milk, which, even today undergoes only basic processing. The natural taste, appearance and the nutritional value of raw milk are almost maintained even after processing. It is the best option for toddlers as it provides them with the essential nutrients required for growth. But when this milk is processed and all the fat is removed from it, it is called skim milk or fat free milk depending on the degree of fat removal. Skim milk contains around 0.5% fat whereas, fat free milk contains 0% fat.

Skim Milk vs Fat Free Milk: Facts Skim Milk: Conventionally, skim milk was prepared by simply removing the thick top layer of fat or cream from the dairy milk. But, nowadays with the help of centrifugation, the fat content is totally separated from the milk to obtain skim milk. Following are the nutritional components of 1 glass (16oz) of skim milk.

• Fat – less than 0.5%
• Calcium – 316 mg
• Calories – 90 Skim milk is rich in nutrients like vitamins A and D, magnesium and phosphorous which are added during processing. So it is richer than whole milk in terms of nutrients. Read more on skim milk vs whole milk and skim milk vs soy milk

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Fat Free Milk

: While skim milk contains reduced fat levels of less than 1% or may be up to 2.5% in different varieties, fat free milk contains absolutely no fat. But generally, skim milk is confused with fat free milk as many dairies label their products separately such as ‘1% Milk'(containing 1% fat) and ‘2% Milk'(containing 2% fat), so as to give the consumers more options. The dairies are following a new way of marketing, stressing on the words ‘fat free’, since people have become more conscious about the fat content in anything they consume. ‘Fat-free’ sounds better than ‘skim’ and thus sells more. Thus, skim milk is now sold under the label of fat free milk.

Skim Milk vs Fat Free Milk: Legalities

United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) has recently changed the laws for milk labeling. Four types of milk are recognized by the USDA. These different types of milks are differentiated on the basis of the amount of fat (cream or butterfat) present in them. Following are the types of recognized milk:

• Whole milk – Minimum fat – 3.25%
• 2% Milk – Reduced fat – 2.0 to 2.5%
• 1% Milk – Reduced fat – 1 to 1.5%
• Fat Free Milk – 0 to 0.5% Fat

Difference Between Skim Milk and Fat Free Milk

From the above discussion, it is quite clear that skimmed milk which contains 0.5% fat, is known as fat free milk while 1% milk or 2% milk can be considered as skim milk along with the 0.5% milk. We can conclude that there is almost no difference between skim milk and fat free milk with the fat level differing by 0.5%. Skim milk and fat free milk, being almost the same, do not portray any marked difference in their nutritional value as well. Fat free milk is just the new term for marketing skim milk which has negligible fat.

Every type of milk has it’s own set of advantages and disadvantages, no matter what the level of fat content. Skim milk or fat free milk is definitely an essential and healthier option for a weight loss program. Instead of debating fiercely over skim milk vs fat free milk, enjoy a glass of milk, as it is a miracle of nature and one the most nutritious drinks known to us.