12 Different Types Of Milk With Images

Milk is an important drink in keeping our body healthy and strong as it contains a wide variety of ingredients such as calcium, Phosphorus, potassium, B vitamins and Vitamin D. There are many different types of milk that are either animal based or plant based. It has been a part of our diet, not to mention it was in fact the first food we tasted. Milk is nutritious, delicious and most of the time readily available and accessible.

In this guide are the different types of milk and a brief description of each type of dairy products.

What are the different types of Milk

Health Benefits of Milk

As mentioned, milk has a wide variety of ingredients needed for the body. It contains vitamins and minerals. Protein for our overall health and well being, and Calcium for strong bones and teeth.

Protein is made up of amino acids needed for the body to repair and build the muscles and bones in our body. Milk has a high-protein content making it a perfect choice for your daily intake of complete Protein.

Milk is considered to be the best source of calcium that is needed for strong bones and teeth. We especially need milk during our growing up years (childhood and adolescence) because that’s the time when our bones are still growing and getting stronger. In older adults, milk lowers the risk of getting osteoporosis since our bone density decreases as we age.

Lists of Essential Nutrients we get from milk:

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin A
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin B12
• Selenium
• Magnesium
• Choline
• Zinc
• Potassium

Nutritional Facts: (for every one cup)

• Sugar: 12 grams
• Fiber: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 12 grams
• Calories: 149
• Protein: 8 grams
• Fat: 8 grams

Although Milk is essential for our overall wellbeing, it is not recommended to have too much. A full serving milk is approximately 8 ounces or 1 cup. You should consider not having too much milk for a day.

How much does a gallon of milk weigh?

A gallon is about 3.7 Liters or equivalent to 16 cups. A gallon of milk usually weight more or less 8.6 pounds or 3.9 kilograms.

There are several different varieties of milk, some are popular whilst others are not. You may refer to the lists below for the different milk varieties to choose from.

Different Types Of Milk

Whole Milk

Whole milk is also referred to as ‘regular milk’ that consists of about 3.5% of saturated fat, with a fat content range of about 3.25-3.5%. With its fat content, whole milk is rich, thick and creamy and the perfect milk for your bowl of cereal for breakfast.

It is called Whole milk because of how it came out from the cow before it was processed. Although it is homogenized and even pasteurized, perhaps the ratio of its fat content is most likely the same as raw milk. Therefore when talking about calorie content, a 1 cup (8-ounce glass) of whole milk contains about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat.

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Raw Milk

It is commonly known as Unpasteurized milk, from the name itself “raw” which simply means that it has not been homogenized milk or pasteurized milk . Although it is another type of cow’s milk, raw milk can also come from buffalos, sheep, camel and even goats.

Since raw milk did not go through pasteurization process, there have been concerns regarding health simply because it was not “heated” or passed through decontamination process therefore not actually safe for drinking. It may or may not contain germs, virus and bacteria that can be harmful to our body and affect our overall health.

However, given the health concerns that were raised by individuals, there are also some who believed that unpasteurized milk may be considered as “complete” milk. Complete in the sense that since it was not heated, the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals remains in the milk which makes it more healthy since it does not contain preservatives.

While some believed it to be true, some are not convinced with the argument with health concern issues.

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Low Fat Milk

Most of the time, Low Fat milk and reduced-fat milk are confused with each other, when in fact both milk are not the same. While reduced fat milk consists of about 2% fat content, low fat milk consists of only 1% of fat content. Since low fat milk has a lesser fat content, it is preferred mostly by individuals who are conscious about their weight and wants to lose weight. Also, when consuming milk with low fat content you are getting lesser content of unsaturated fat while at the same time helping lower cholesterol level.

Low fat milk goes through a process which is called “centrifugation”. Since unprocessed milk contains creamy fat layer, the process remove the fat layer making the milk thinner as a result of a whiter opaque shade. It is used mostly when making pudding, dessert, cakes and milkshakes with low calorie content.

If you want your low fat milk to be more creamy, you can combined low fat milk with skimmed milk. Other than making your milk creamier, protein and calcium content on your milk also increases.

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Reduced Fat Milk (2%)

2% milk is also referred to as reduced fat milk. As mentioned, it typically contains about 2% of fat content. Which means that a 1 cup (8-ounce) of milk has about 5 grams of fat but still has the same nutrients with all the other milk. When comparing to whole milk, it is not as thick but it sure does have a mild flavor. Considered to be an great source of vitamin D and calcium.

Reduced fat milk also goes through a process that removes the extra fat, keeping its fat content to a minimum. Because of its smooth texture, most tea enthusiasts prefer to use this type of milk for that rich-milky flavor.

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Full Cream milk

A type of milk that has the highest percentage of about 3.5% fat content. With its high fat content, it is one of the creamiest milk and most nutritious as compared to other types of milk with a lower percentage of fat. Full cream milk is a combination of both the cow and buffalo milk. Full cream milk is similar with Whole milk, as it contains the same amount of fat content.

Full cream milk contains about 3.3 grams of high quality protein, 3.9 grams of fat and 4.7 grams of carbohydrates which makes it more nutritious and healthy to adults especially in children.

If you want your coffee to be more creamy, you can add this milk for that for thickness and rich milk taste it can give.

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Organic milk

These type of milk are milked from crows that were not given any supplemental hormones. It is also produced from dairy farmers who uses only organic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic milk is different from other types of milk: First, the 30% diet of the milking cows comes from pasture. Second, antibiotics were also not given to the cows. and Lastly, they weren’t given any growth or reproductive hormones.

In terms of nutritional value, it is almost the same as with other types of milk therefore the nutritional and health benefits it can provide will not have much of a difference with the other milk type.

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Skim milk (Fat-Free milk)

Fat free milk is a popular choice by individuals who are weight conscious since skim milk contains an absolutely zero amount of fat. With less fat in the diet,

Even if Skim milk does not consists any amount of fat and calories, the same nutrients as with other milk is still there. Though 1 cup or 8 ounces glass of skim milk only contains 80 calories.

From the name itself, the milk goes through the process called “skimming”. The process involves removing the cream from the milk therefore the taste of the milk becomes more watery since there is now less cream. But if you want a creamier taste, you can add milk powders to it.

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Lactose-Free milk (Lactose Intolerance milk)

Lactose is a natural sugar in milk. Some individuals cannot digest lactose causing them digestive related problems such as diarrhea and vomiting. In here, Lactose free milk is an ideal choice to drink for individuals with lactose intolerant conditions.

This type of milk is a regular cow’s milk but the natural sugar it consists are removed. It is called Lactose-free milk because the manufacturers of this type of milk added lactase to the milk. Lactase functions by breaking down the sugar which is lactose. Regardless of Lactase being added, the taste and its nutritional value remains as though it still tastes like a regular milk.

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Flavored milk

This type of milk right here is a popular choice and with high demands among kids and sometimes adults as well. Imagine getting the right nutrients that milk has to offer while at the same enjoying the different varieties of flavors it has. This type of milk is used by parents since it is easier for them to get their kids drink it.

Flavored milk usually consists of sugar, milk and food colorings that are either natural or artificial. Kids of all ages especially love the chocolate milk flavor, however, there are other milk flavored varieties to choose from such as banana milk, strawberry milk and a whole lot more.

And since it is easier for kids to drink milk flavored than other milk that can lead to them to drinking milk more which in return gives them a more healthier body.

Flavored milk also tends to have a longer shelf life as compared to a other milk. The longer shelf life of Flavored milk is because it has been pasteurized with the use of UHT or Ultra High Temperature process. It involves heating the milk with a degree of 138-150 degree Celsius for about 2 seconds therefore it can be stored for months even without refrigeration.

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Soy Milk

Soy milk is not the type of milk from cow’s milk but instead it comes from soybeans. Dried soybeans are soaked and grind in water as a result creating Soy milk.

A plant-based milks which contains nutrients such as calcium and proteins (soy proteins). And since it basically comes from plants (plant-based milks), it is considered to be free from cholesterol making it the favorite among vegans. Its also lactose free and low in saturated fat.

Despite not being milked from animals, soy milk also provides individuals the same amount of nutrients that is also present in regular cow milk or whole milk. In fact, between using coconut, soy and rice milk, soy milk has been proven to have the biggest amount of nutrients therefore it is considered to be the second nutritious type of milk there is, which is of course after the regular cow milk that comes from cow’s milk or animals.

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Evaporated milk

This type of milk is also known as Unsweetened condensed milk. With this type of milk, about 60% of the water from fresh milk is removed by the process is simmering. The milk is simmered over low heat to remove the water content. The simmering process will make the milk thicker, richer and creamier resulting in a caramel like flavor. After which, it then goes the homogenization process for a longer shelf life of the milk.

Evaporated milk contains low fat content but still its creaminess remains and that is what makes this type of milk the best milk alternatives when looking when making dishes that requires more cream content.

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Sweetened Evaporated milk

This one is the opposite of the type of milk mentioned above however the process of removing the water content from fresh milk is still the same resulting in a dense and creamy texture. The difference between unsweetened milk and sweetened evaporated milk is pretty obvious. The former is also called unsweetened condensed milk thereby no sugar is added while the latter on the other hand sugar is added as a preservative.

In comparison with the other types of milk mentioned, this one is especially different in relations to its taste, consistency and texture whereby is is more sweeter, more darker in color and with a thick and more creamy texture.

Since sugar is added making it ultra sweet, this type of milk is usually added to make dishes sweet but not usually used for drinking as a single beverage.

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Conclusion

Now that you already know the different kinds of milk in the market, I think its about time to stick up your pantries and fridge with the milk of your choice. Be it flavored milk for your children, skimmed milk for weight loss or just a regular milk that gives your body an overall health and well being.