With the number of non-fat and low fat milk and milk products available on the market, certain questions are implied. Exactly how much lower in fat are these milks than standard milk? Is 1% or 2% milk really much lower in fat or calories than whole milk, and are there any people who should drink whole milk?

A serving of whole milk (8 ounces or .24 liters), has 150 calories, and approximately 8.5 grams of fat. In contrast 2% milk contains about 120 calories and 4.8 grams of fat. 1% milk has 100 calories and approximately 2.4 grams of fat, and nonfat or skim milk has .4 grams of fat and contains 86 calories per serving.

In percentage factors, whole milk could be called 3.5% milk. It must have at least 3.5% milk fats in order to be classed as “whole.” But you can see from the above figures that whole milk has almost twice the fat content as does 2% milk, and about sixteen times the fat content of nonfat milk.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that regular milk is always bad. In fact from a calorie standpoint, the difference between standard milk and 2% milk is fairly minimal. You’ll be consuming about thirty more calories when drinking whole milk. Calorie differences are most significant when you compare whole milk to non-fat milk. A glass of non-fat milk saves you 64 calories, which may be an asset if you’re trying to lower calorie consumption.

There are groups of people that should not drink lower fat milk, and there’s much evidence, that using low fat milks can be of detriment. This is especially the case with children. For children who drink milk, more fat content is actually better, especially for kids under two. Pediatricians represent several schools of thought here. Some suggest that children under the age of five should keep drinking regular milk. Others argue that low fat milk is fine for kids over the age of two. If your child seems to be getting plenty of calories and eats a well-balanced diet, whole milk may not be necessary.

For people with conditions that cause them to be undernourished, whole fat milk may be a better choice than low fat varieties. If you’re trying to gain weight, more calories is usually better, and humans do need a certain amount of fat in their diet. Alternately, if you like the creamy taste of regular milk and eat an otherwise low fat diet, a single glass of milk a day will only constitute 23% of your daily allowance for saturated fat. On the other hand, if you’re trying to lose weight, lower fat milk may be the better choice.