Milk: Hitting the Bottle

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Half of the people in my household drink milk... 9 year old son, 7 year old son, and 1 year old son. 4 year old daughter drinks soy/rice/potato milks due to cows milk allergy, and hubby and I are lactose intolerant (thank you Asian genes)... we use milk on our cereal, occasionally in a latte, but that's about it.

1 year old son goes through a gallon of whole milk of his own in 5-7 days. The older boys can finish a gallon of 2% in 5-7 days during the school year, and 3-5 days during school breaks.

I never could understand the appeal of skim milk... tastes like slightly milky water that just happens to be white.

[ludja]

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I never could understand the appeal of skim milk... tastes like slightly milky water that just happens to be white.

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Lower calories... I think some people get used to lower fat milk too at some point and then may find 'regular" milk very rich.

You guys go through the milk with your boys! Although I drank milk with all meals when I was growing up I never put it down like some of my male friends when they were kids and teenagers.

[suzilightning]

believe it or not as a child of the 50s i was allergic to it. they used to put liquid benedryl in my bottle so i wouldn't break out in hives. i was the kid who would put orange juice on my cereal.

over the years i seem to be able to tolerate milk better(no more itching) and most of the year i have a glass of coffee milk made with lactose free milk for breakfast - lots of ice in that puppy, too. recently one of the supermarkets around here started to carry kefir and that has been added for an afternoon snack.

now i think i'll have to try goats milk and see if johnnybird and i can tolerate it.

Edited March 9, 2007 by suzilightning (log)

[ludja]

believe it or not as a child of the 50s i was allergic to it.  they used to put liquid benedryl in my bottle so i wouldn't break out in hives.  i was the kid who would put orange juice on my cereal.

over the years i seem to be able to tolerate milk better(no more itching) and most of the year i have a glass of coffee milk made with lactose free milk for breakfast - lots of ice in that puppy, too.  recently one of the supermarkets around here started to carry kefir and that has been added for an afternoon snack.

now i think i'll have to try goats milk and see if johnnybird and i can tolerate it.

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My sister who developed pretty severe intolerance to cow's milk as an adult--she studiously avoids any product with even some powdered milk in it to avoid symptons--does fine with goat milk. This has been a blessing in terms of being able to still enjoy goat and sheep cheeses and sheep's milk ricotta.

[miladyinsanity]

I don't usually drink plain milk--only full-fat please. Even then, I prefer it flavored--preferably with some cocoa powder or chocolate or coffee. I can taste the difference even though it's flavored.

Haven't been drinking much lately, because my favorite cup broke and I drank everything from that cup, especially cocoa.

I cannot remember the last time I drank plain milk. But I shall try it Really Really cold.

[I_call_the_duck]

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I never could understand the appeal of skim milk... tastes like slightly milky water that just happens to be white.

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Lower calories... I think some people get used to lower fat milk too at some point and then may find 'regular" milk very rich.

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True in my case. I love milk--always have, but it's skim these days. Drink it for breakfast every morning, and with dessert. I was at my mom's this past weekend, and she had 1%, which tasted too rich and thick to me. But I drink skim because I delude myself into thinking that if I have skim, I can use the fat that I didn't use there towards something like, say, foie gras. Does that make sense?

[mukki]

I LOVE milk! I always have, but it was chocolate milk when I was a kid. In fact, I think chocolate milk made up the bulk of my calories growing up. Well, that and pickles.

It was low fat while growing up because that's what mom bought and then skim for a while in college. Whole actually tasted gross to me back then. Now, it's 2% organic from TJ's. I love TJ's organic milk; other milk often tastes a bit nasty to me now. Don't even talk to me about that ultra-pasteurized organic "milk". I go through about 1/2 gallon of 2% every week and 1/2 gallon whole for cappucinos. I think I probably like whole more now, but it just seems too decadent given how much I drink a week. The only time I stop drinking milk is when I travel.

I did try raw milk and liked it, but not enough to pay extra and have to go to Mother's Market every week to buy it.

[phaelon56]

As a boy growing up in a household where all vegetables were cooked in the Irish-Amercian style - i.e. boiled to death until they tasted bad - I was requireecd to eat everythignt hat was served to me with no questions asked. The saving grace was that milk was allowed in unlimited quantities. I washed ever bite (more like a swallow) of noxious vegetables down with a big swig of milk. Perhaps that's why I ended up towering over my parents and my older brother by the time I was in my teens.

As my parents switched over to 2% and then skim milk I stopped drinking it with meals - eventually using it only for cereal, sauces and now - in my espresso years -as a component of espresso drinks.

It's been so long since I drank whole milk as a beverage that even 2% milk tastes far too rich if I attempt to drink it on its own. When I eat cold cereal it's always acccompanied by skim milk. But for machiatto's, cappuccino's and latte's I use 2% or whole milk.

On rare occasions I even make a breve machiatto - about 1 oz of steamed half 'n half poured onto a 1.5 ounce double ristretto espresso shot. Try one sometime - if the espresso is good this is a fantastic drink - very rich with a great complexity of flavor and texture. And if your barista is not accustomed to steaming half ' n half be sure to ask them to keep the steaming temp low - at about 120 degrees F or so - to avoid scalding the half 'n half.

[srhcb]

Encouraged by comments from denizens of this board, (and further goaded by a 3-yr old grandson), I bought a half-gallon of 2% chocolate milk.

Per a few suggestions here, I even chilled my glass, (and a Sippe Cup), before pouring some.

It wasn't too bad. It still had that odd "mouth feel", but with the chocolate after-taste I didn't find that to be as objectionable.

Maybe next I'll try it hot?

SB (not quite a new fan yet)

[Jaymes]

It wasn't too bad.  It still had that odd "mouth feel", but with the chocolate after-taste I didn't find that to be as objectionable.

Not sure that at this late date it's worth the bother to "learn" to like it, but I admire your perseverance. The "odd 'mouth feel'" you note might be the fat. We grew up on whole milk but, in a never-ending quest to reduce caloric intake, I finally managed to switch myself to skim. Now, when I drink whole or even 2%, I note the fat coating the inside of my mouth.

[Chef_on_the_go]

As a kid, there was a mandatory glass of whole milk with every meal. I'm not even sure 2% was readily available back then. I, like millions of other kids, had skim milk forced upon me by a diet-fad mother. I can still remember the day that I opened the fridge and saw that bluish glow from refrigerator light passing through it. Skim "milk" has scarred me for life. I put skim in the same category as non-dairy creamer. If forced to choose between the two, I would pour whipping cream over my cereal. I don't drink much milk these days. I buy a half gallon of whole milk and that will last me a week, after I make yogurt out of half of it. I prefer to buy it from micro dairies and seek out the ones that come in glass bottles. If I can find the cream top milk, I'll go home and make a chocolate cake to go with it!!

[Alex]

As a child, and into adolescence, I could easily put away a quart of whole milk a day (preferably straight from the carton and accompanied by a substantial amount of chocolate chip cookies). And, like Maggie, when I became a (chronological) adult I started weaning myself off the stuff. I got back into milk again when I joined a raw milk co-op several years ago. What delicious stuff, even after skimming the cream for coffee! I usually wound up drinking half of it and making yogurt out of the other half. About a year ago, though, due to a combination of circumstances, I needed to drop out.

Now I occasionally buy organic 2% (a compromise, since I like whole milk and Ms. Alex likes skim), which, unfortunately, is ultra-pasteurized but is the only form of organic milk I've seen here. (I'm on the lookout for another co-op.) I seldom drink it straight, though -- I usually combine it with Silk chocolate soy milk and toddy-made decaf coffee concentrate and bring it to work.

I remember reading somewhere that the fat in whole milk facilitates the body's absorption of calcium and therefore skim milk is not nutritionally optional. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

[Susie Q]

Growing up I didn't drink much milk except with cereal nor did I eat cheese. I wasn't allergic. I just didn't care for it.

I did like a bit of heavy cream poured over hot peach pie, yogurt and oddly I liked leftover cornbread crumbled in buttermilk.

About 7 years ago I started drinking milk more often. Don't really remember why I starte but now I average a cup a day ( FULL FAT baby!) and I'll even drive the extra 4 miles to buy it in a glass bottle.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Susie Q (log)

[lesfen]

My name is Leslie, and I love milk.

I stock the house with 2%, but that's as a compromise. I like skim and my husband likes whole. He's really looking forward to the day when our 3-month-old makes the switch from formula to whole milk.

Stealing milk from a child... shameful.

He drinks milk with most of his meals, I drink it with comfort food, and my 3-year-old drinks it if it's in front of her but she usually wants water. The three of us manage to polish of about 2 gallons a week between meals and the obscene amount of cereal that we eat.

[ingridsf]

This thread is such a coincidence -- I started buying milk regularly about 2 months ago. We drank it at lunch and dinner growing up so it's a familiar flavor. I'm really liking it now as a quick breakfast, in itself, and as an evening snack. The organic delivery service I use has raw whole milk, which is what I get. If it's not available, I get a local organic brand, Straus, that's very good. Yeah, it's expensive but it's cheaper than buying "energy bars" or whatever.

I downed a glass of cold milk and, boy, will I never do that again. That was an ice cream headache from hell.

Yes, I do believe I read something about the fat in milk facilitating absorption of certain nutrients. It's not like I drink whole milk just because I love fat, or anything. It's all about taking care of myself.

[menton1]

I think a lot of the "resurgence" is due to the barrage of milk advertising out there.

Milk, however, is really not a good food for humans. There are now warnings about giving too much of it to children; it is also the Number one allergen in the food supply (!!)

Perhaps notice also ought to be taken of the increasing popularity of soy milk, a much more healthful food...

[Darcie B]

Since I was allergic to milk between the ages of 2 and about 10, I craved it all the time. I would break out in very itchy hives on my feet and forearms if I had some, so cheating wasn't an option. Luckily I outgrew the allergy and now enjoy milk (usually 2%) to go with certain foods or as a late night snack by itself.

I don't understand why it is "not good for humans." If you have no dairy allergies or lactose intolerance, and only drink in moderation (i.e. not too much fat/calories), where's the rub?

I occasionally drink Silk, but prefer cow's milk and milk products.

[ingridsf]

Milk, however, is really not a good food for humans.  There are now warnings about giving too much of it to children; it is also the Number one allergen in the food supply (!!) 

Perhaps notice also ought to be taken of the increasing popularity of soy milk, a much more healthful food...

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I used to work for a breast cancer advocacy org and, believe me, I've heard more (informed) debate about the dairy/soy issue than most people. Just in relation to breast cancer, the unsatisfying situation right now is that cow's milk and soy both have warnings associated with them. Soy's estrogen-rich properties have to be judged in a context that takes into account that we are now absorbing estrogen from our environment from plastics and many other sources. This influences how healthful a soy-rich product is.

I would suggest a careful attention to the source of whatever product you ingest, as much if not more than what you consume. I buy raw milk from a small, local, and reputable supplier; I'm fairly confident I'm drinking unprocessed milk from clean, healthy cows who did not consume pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, or hormones. Silk soy milk, for example, is owned by Dean Foods which has lobbied for a weakening of US organic food standards. They also use GMOs and some non-domestic suppliers. So it's not so simple in my mind.

My brother is lactose intolerant. Cow's milk is not for him. I have a congenital condition that involves muscle deterioration that makes breathing and eating more tiring than for most people. Cow's milk is an easy thing for me to get in my body to get my energy going; I've tried soy milk and it just doesn't have the same effect.

[menton1]

I don't understand why it is "not good for humans." If you have no dairy allergies or lactose intolerance, and only drink in moderation (i.e. not too much fat/calories), where's the rub?

The main reason for milk's popularity is the massive power of the Dairy Industry. It takes a lot of money and a lot of white-mustachioed celebs to perpetuate.

We have discovered lots of bad things about milk since it's heyday in the 50s, yet the ads and the money-brokers keep the milk moving, the purchase of milk is a reflexive purchase, one that is given little thought. (Milk? Of course it's good for you!)

But, Ingrid's post above is just the tip of the iceberg.

The #1 food allergen in the food supply, but a huge margin.

Designed by nature for baby calves, cow's milk is meant for heifers who double their weight in 45 days, grow 4 stomachs, and grow to over 300 lbs in 1 year. 4 times more protein than human milk and 50% more fat. Furthermore, any milk is only meant for INFANT consumption.

And sure, soy has its problems as well, some irreputable producers use GMOs and other undesirables. But a good soy milk beats cow's milk all the time!

[ingridsf]

"Designed by nature for baby calves, cow's milk is meant for heifers who double their weight in 45 days, grow 4 stomachs, and grow to over 300 lbs in 1 year. 4 times more protein than human milk and 50% more fat. Furthermore, any milk is only meant for INFANT consumption.

And sure, soy has its problems as well, some irreputable producers use GMOs and other undesirables. But a good soy milk beats cow's milk all the time!"

No arguments from me, menton1, about the power and the perils of PR. But all that aside, I've never understood the objection about "designed by nature." It's an argument against consumption for this one item but I seldom hear it made about others.

Chicken eggs -- or any eggs -- for example. Or chicken feet -- weren't those made for walkin'? Other animals eat other animals; I think consuming one creature's milk and eggs is part of that. And humans are omnivores whereas calves/cows are not, and the structure of our digestive tracts is vastly different. Comparing them is apples/oranges.

As a rule, humans don't make choices based on what the item is "meant" for. Meant by whom? Not to get quasi-philosophical but I don't see nature as Nature, and I don't see biology as destiny. We eat what we can get our hands on and what we want. I don't see that milk is only for infants. Creme brulee? Camembert? Pizza? All need milk (cream is part of milk, in my book), and they are most definitely for non-infants.

Because that's another thing human eaters do: we cook. We manipulate and process the heck out of food, sometimes turning wheat kernels into bread and coffee beans into my drug of choice; other times taking I-don't-know-what and making Slim Jims. Cow's milk (raw and local, as I can get it) is pretty close to unprocessed and doesn't have anything added to it, whereas the soy milk I could get -- which I'm not saying is bad stuff -- is heavily processed (soy beans aren't all that drinkable!) and often has sugar added along with stuff to make it shelf stable. There are more unknowns, to me, in that glass of soy milk than in my glass of cow's milk.

What I would prefer is to not exalt or vilify either of these.

Edited April 7, 2007 by ingridsf (log)