What is Skim Milk?
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Skim milk is a dairy product with an extremely low fat percentage. In some nations, skim milk is labeled as “fat free” milk, since many labeling laws allow foods with negligible fat contents to be labeled as “fat free”. Most grocery stores and dairies stock skim milk, along with low-fat and whole milk products. For people who are concerned about the amount of fat in their diets, skim milk is an excellent alternative to whole milk, although some individuals do not enjoy the flavor.
Traditionally, dairy was allowed to sit after milking, to allow the fat to rise to the top. The fat was skimmed to make butter and cream products, and the remaining milk was consumed or processed into other foods like cheese. Modern dairy production uses centrifuges, since they are much more time efficient. After being centrifuged, the fatty part is used to make cream and butter, or it may be added back into the skimmed milk to raise the fat percentage.
As a general rule, products labeled as “skim milk” have less than 0.5% fat. Low fat or semi-skimmed milk has a fat percentage ranging between one and two percent. Many dairies label their one and two percent milk separately, giving consumers more options. Whole milk has a fat content of around 3.5%. Creams and butters, made from the fatty part of the milk, have a much higher fat content. A dairy may also choose to supplement its dairy products with useful vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D.
Most dairies pasteurize their milk products out of concern for safety. After separation into skim milk, whole milk, and other dairy products, the milk is also usually homogenized. Homogenization evens the consistency of the milk by reducing all of the particles in the milk to the same size. This prevents fatty solids from rising to the top of the milk as it sits. Because most milk is homogenized, making skim milk at home is essentially impossible, unless you have access to milk which has not been so treated.
As a general rule, skim milk will keep under refrigeration for five to 10 days. Always check the expiration date on milk and dairy products when you purchase them, and sniff dairy products when you open them to ensure that the contents have not spoiled. Skim milk can be used as a milk alternative in a wide range of foods, although the lower fat content may make it unsuitable for certain cooked dishes. Skim milk also tends to have a slightly watery flavor, which some consumers do not enjoy.
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23
I am seventeen years old. Every girl in my middle school is already developing. This wasn't the case for me when I was their age. I blame the hormones in milk for this drastic change. I agree that skim milk is much healthier and a better alternative to allow younger adolescents to have less hormonal intake. - anon46555
22
I just bought some fat free milk from trader joe's yesterday (99 cents super deal) and it was delish. i never expected that. now i have to get my mum to start drinking it. Wish me luck! - anon45360
21
what type of milk should a person on a diet take? - anon44752
20
I remember as a child eating lunch in the school cafeteria every day and always being the odd ball and selecting that good old skim milk in the light blue carton, while everyone else chose chocolate milk. I still love my skim milk to this day at the age of 32. I never missed a day of school from K-12 and never went without my carton of skim milk at lunch. I'm a high school math teacher and continue to get my carton of skim milk and hope to pass this on to my unborn little girl due to arrive in October. - anon43685
19
I have used only skim milk for ages. I don't mind the wateriness but lately I have noticed it has a funny taste, and when it goes off, its not like normal off milk (yoghurty) it's almost like it has some fish by-product in it. Now when I eat cereal I can taste the bad flavour. I think I'll go back to soy. - anon41409
18
Today i went to the fridge to grab some milk to drink when i noticed all there was was skim milk! i'm used to drinking 2 percent milk and every now and then i grab some from the dairy farm that i work at. You have to shake it before you drink it! ehen i poured the skim milk it looked like watered down milk and tastes horrible! Why did my dad have to buy skim milk! - anon39628
17
please know that only people who are diabetics please opt for her a low fat milk based on flavour. depending on her glucose tolerance you should first of all consult diabetician or check her weight. i am a 28 year old diabetic patient. - anon38359
16
really appreciate comment by anon28969...
Thanks indeed - ishaqmj
15
I love skim milk. It tastes good. I'm not even dieting! - anon35028
14
Babies below 1 year of age should not be fed cows milk. Cows milk does not contain all the nutrients needed and has a higher protein content that can damage a babies kidneys. Use breast milk or formula, or in some extreme cases goats milk can be used. - anon34115
13
Skim milk is nasty, I won't drink it and if WIC has only skim milk, I still won't get it, and in that case my son will not get milk!! - anon33266
12
What type of milk is recommended for babies below 1 year of age? - bingo900
11
if you have low protein intake and you want to consume high quality protein, which would be the poorest choice of protein: soy burger, chicken breast, kidney bean soup or skim milk? - oneadam12
10
Milks most of the time are pasteurized/homogenized to reduce the thick white puss that comes from the side effect of giving cows toxic additives(list is long, but don't take my word for it, search) so they produce more milk. The fats that are taken out of the milk to make skim milk, are the most beneficial.Once you come to the end of your teen life, most of us loose the ability to digest milk properly. Try drinking milk in moderation (google search...) Also Soy is definitely not a solution. Alternate between almond, oat and rice milk instead. Do yourself a favour and look up soy milk and thyroid gland (immune system). I was sick for a lot of my life, on and off, then discovered the dangers with soy milk. I was sold as a teenager that it was the healthier alternative. We have been lied too to help them make use out of a waist product, to lower our overall health, and to help with the global slow kill. The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion profitable business. Since I stopped my allergies and sickness disappeared and I haven't been sick again. It's one of the highest GM foods, high in aluminium, prevents iron, calcium, zinc absorption. It's a byproduct from fermented soy, brought to the market with money pumped into false advertising so they could get profit from their waste. Mush your cardboard boxes in water and add calcium instead and eat that. You'll get about the same amount of nutrition without the side effects. More than 30ml for an infant can be lethal... Anyways, the list is long, don't be sold on mass media propaganda. Learn who owns and controls the media. Now that the NWO is finally admitting to exist, find out that their number one goal is population control! If you haven't had too much mercury, fluoride and aspartame(search this word!) having a field day in your brain, you'll do yourself a favour and do some searching on the internet for the truth before the internet v2 is bought and shuts down free information. Free information is there so one can sift through it all so you can make up your own mind. Stop letting the media do the thinking for you, they're laughing themselves silly how easy it is for them. If you've ever witnessed David Rockefellers speech in the mid 90's on what the elites of the worlds plan is for us the 'excess' of the world, start searching now if you care. Start looking for those that are speaking up out there that we have as much right to live as them. They are not our gods. Anyways, I didn't mean to ramble, my past with soy milk makes me upset. Don't take my word for any of this, refuse to be a sheep and start searching and look past the privately owned elite controlled media companies. - anon28969
9
I specialize in 9 year old girls -- I know them inside and out. They should be drinking at least 4 glasses of skimmed or soy milk every day. The blue hue of the skim milk increases the protein and vitamin levels of 9 year old girls, helping them to fully develop. And it makes you feel satiated! All hail skimmed milk! - NineGrl4aDay
8
I like drink skimmed milk while writing papers for college. It helps me think. My grandchildren also drink skimmed milk. Yay skimmed milk! - Skim4Life
7
Could please tell me how many glasses of skim milk per day should a 9 year old girl be drinking? - anon27220
6
Whole milk should not be replaced by skim milk unless an individual drinks a lot of milk and has weight problems, this especially applies to kids, the fats contain in milk are specifically synthesized by the cow for encouraging healthy growth in the calf. That 3.5% fat will do your kids good. - anon26420
4
My entire family drink skim milk. All 3 of my grand children love skim milk. Good stuff! - anon23375
3
can a diabetic person drink skimmed milk? - anon21011
2
I also used to dislike the watery nature of skimmed milk but eventually got used to it. As an alternative, one can try soya milk. It is low on fat and is quite thick to make you feel satiated. - dynamite
1
i remember how hard it was, as a kid, to get used to skim milk as opposed to whole or low fat milk. it looked like it was blue and i hated how thin it was. but now, i prefer it to whole milk. don't get me wrong, whole milk is good in certain things, but i think if you introduce it to your kids early enough, they won't really even know the difference! - bigmetal
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Written by
S.E. Smith
Last Modified: 26 September 2009
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