I am somewhat of a milk snob …
I like to drink local milk–it just tastes better, fresher. So, I try my hardest to plan well and buy from the local dairies; milk, ice cream, and creamer. I know what stores to frequent to ensure that I can easily find what we want.
In addition, I also have more confidence that the ice cream hasn’t melted and been refrozen a few times before it’s on the grocery store shelf. Nothing is worse than freezer-burned refrozen ice cream.
The other thing that I am very fussy about is what percent milk I buy—I am a whole milk girl through and through!
Poor whole milk: it gets such a bad wrap this time of year as folks are going on their diets after binging all holiday season. Skim,1%, and 2% tend to win out over the red top, assumed to be the answer to consumers’ weight issues. Have they read any of the latest studies on whole milk and the accolades it is getting?
I have never actually understood why people decide that their milk is where they are going to cut the fat and calories—do they know that whole milk has only a 3.25% fat content? Do they get that the step down to 2%, 1%, or skim milk isn’t really that great of a step? Wouldn’t it be better to nix the extra helping or cookie for dessert? What about the coolatta or all those processed diet foods?
Am I crazy, or is that kind of a poor choice of labelling for milk? Whole to me means 100%. No wonder why folks are choosing the 2% or less options. They are mislead. Thank goodness for 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl, which cemented the fat content of cows’ milk in my head forever. I swear, if I hadn’t known that, then I would be under the impression that there was a huge amount of fat in whole milk, too.
There was a day, though, when I was even a little self-conscious about my whole milk choice (shhh, don’t tell anyone, actually whole milk straight out of the tank). Especially when I was a young mom, trying to feed my kids well, going to friends’ houses where the only choice was skim or 1% milk. Was I being naive? I felt unhealthy for some reason (maybe even bad). And I was even brought up in dairy farming–but you know how those stigmas are. Poor, poor whole milk.
Don’t worry though, that insecurity didn’t last long … I got over it as I watched my kids thrive on that whole milk straight out of the tank. Oh my, unheard of! Thank heavens I was friends with my kids’ doctor!
So, my poor whole milk. Maybe we should consider relabelling you so you don’t feel so lonely on the shelf this time of year. I believe in you, and all of your 3.25% milk fat content. Trust me, I won’t be cutting you when I am looking to count the calories–instead I will bake fewer cookies–and I will find another treat that I can enjoy with my glass of milk instead!
For now, no worries, my friend. This family will continue to wear our whole milk mustaches with pride. 🙂
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