When it comes to milk, the first beverage every living creature is supposed to have, and its purity matters for everyone who consumes it. By purity we mean its nutrients and calories amount a human normally intake. It generally makes people clueless to add the right type of milk in their diet as everyone intakes milk either in the form of curd, coffee, tea, or directly as a health drink.
To decide the right kind of milk between whole milk, skimmed, 1% or 2% it’s about the fat constraint only. It’s quite easy to identify the correct milk intake based upon the forms of milk Whole fat, low fat, reduced fat, and fat-free.
Though milk is not a bad beverage to have regularly, one must be aware of its benefits based upon the quality of milk suitable for their health since milk is the king of nutrition.
1% Milk vs 2% Milk
The main difference between the 1% and 2% milk is about the substantial amount of fat present in the milk. Here 1% milk is termed as low-fat milk containing 1% weight of fat as present in whole milk and 2% milk has reduced fat amount as fat is extracted from the milk which leads to less fat consumption.
The amount of fat present in 1% milk is slightly higher from the skim milk containing 0.3 to 0.5 percent of fat after multiple steps of milk processing where all the nutrient values are stored with less calorie count. 1% milk is the first preference for infants after the mother feed.
In the layman’s language, we can call it less creamy milk to the 2% milk as compared to the full cream milk extracted from the raw cow milk. Since the amount of fat present is 2% of the total milk weight. Here all the nutrient values of milk have been extracted.
Comparison Table Between 1% and 2% Milk
| Parameters of Comparison | 1% Milk | 2% Milk |
| Health Benefits | 1 % milk contains high amounts of nutrition and vitamins as low fat is present in the milk. | 2 % milk contains low amounts of nutrition and vitamin D as high fat and calories are present in the milk. |
| Consumption | It is usually advisable to drink before the age of 5 and below. | It is not advisable to give 2% milk to Infants as the fat quantity is higher. |
| Taste | When it comes to taste, People are less likely to consume 1% as it tastes like thin liquid. | People find 2 % milk much tastier as the taste is almost similar to Whole fat milk. |
| Fat Content | 1/4th amount of Fat is present in 1 % milk as compared to whole fat milk. | ½ amount of Fat is present in 2 % milk as compared to whole fat milk, |
| Disadvantages | Regular intake of low-fat milk leads to dryness in the stomach which creates acne in allergic humans. | Regular intake of reduced-fat milk leads to obesity and heart disease as per research. |
What is 1 % Milk?
The 1% milk is procured after the removal of a major fat amount from the raw milk. Ideal amounts of nutrients and vitamins are present in 1% milk as being “low-fat milk”. It is highly recommendable milk for people likely to have a balanced diet with less creamy milk and old age people who have a weak digestive system.
When more of the fat amount is removed from milk, such milk is sold in the lighter color of packets or bottles in the case of 1% milk the consumer will be able to recognize the 1% milk in light colors irrespective of other whole-fat milk and reduced-fat milk.
What is 2% Milk?
The whole milk containing 3.5 to 4% fat content when reduced to 2 % weight of fat content is sold as 2 % milk. Apart from saturated fat and calories, all the nutrient values are similar as present in whole fat milk as fat is reduced to create a uniform amount of cream in 2% milk.
The raw milk when reduced to 2% fat weight carries cholesterol, cream, and more which works better for the young generation as the adequate balance of minerals and calories are present in 2% Milk. A 16 ml glass of 2% milk is sufficient to fulfill the morning appetite.
Main Differences Between 1 Percent Milk and 2 Percent Milk
- Nutrition Value: The Nutritional value of 1% milk is higher as compared to 2% Milk which is rich in vitamins and good fat. During the milk processing where ½ of the fat content is removed to process 2 % milk without damaging the nutrient value.
- Density of Milk: The density of 2% milk is high and tastes creamy which is unlike the 1% Milk which has a very low density as it tastes watery due to the reduced amount of Fat.
- Pros and Cons: Drinking 2 % milk is good for young children as a high amount of saturated fat is present whereas it is more likely to have 1% milk that is health-conscious in adult age.
- Processing of 1% and 2% milk: 1% milk is procured from reduced-fat from milk after pasteurization of 3.25% fat milk whereas 2 % milk is extracted from the whole fat milk to low-fat milk with less amount of nutrition and more calories.
- Calorie amount: The calorie percentage of 2% milk is 0.5% higher than 1% milk as the creamy texture of 2% milk is not helpful in burning calories. One leads to having more strength and energy after a huge amount of calorie intake.
Conclusion
Both 1% and 2% milk have adequate nutrient value; it’s just a matter of Fat content which is inappropriately distributed between the two. The consumption amount is almost the same for both types of milk as different people have different choices based upon the factor of health and taste.
The 2% milk is widely utilized for converting into almond milk, coffee, tea, or other thick beverages as every drink demands some sort of creamy texture which is not possible with the usage of 1% milk.
The Purest and thickest form of milk is Whole milk before any 1% or 2% milk type which is processed and extracted after the pasteurization process of raw milk. Cow milk or any other milk cannot be consumed directly without several steps of sterilization.
Milk is the wholesome source for bone mineral density unlike in the vegan era where people are transported to plant-based milk like soy, almond, rice, and more for their dietary supplements whereas milk processed from mammals is more healthy as possessing an abundance of minerals and vitamins.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261561418301663
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335517301171