I’ve been buying organic milk and dairy products for the past several years due to concerns about growth hormones and antibiotics found in standard milk and dairy. I grew up drinking 1% and 2% milk, so I continued buying it as an adult assuming it was the best nutritional choice for my family. After reading recent studies, my perspective shifted. New research suggests that consuming whole fat dairy is linked to reduced body fat. While scientists aren’t exactly sure what causes this seemingly counter-intuitive correlation, there are a few theories. Some believe that full fat dairy leads to a greater feeling of satiety, causing people to eat less and feel full. Others point to bioactive substances in the milk that might alter our metabolism. I’ve also learned that organic whole milk contains more helpful fatty acids than conventional whole milk. It has a better balance of fatty acids and is higher in healthy omega-3. This is largely due to the fact that organic farmers must allow their dairy cows to graze in the pasture for a certain amount of hours per week. More and more, the evidence seems to point towards organic whole milk as the best choice for many dairy consumers. People with high cholesterol and other health issues associated with saturated fat intake may want to think twice about making the switch. But for the rest of us, whole milk may be a better choice for maintaining a healthy weight.
I don’t know why I was surprised to learn all of this. After all, whole milk is more natural and closer to what our grandparents and great grandparents were drinking. Of course many argue that raw, unpasteurized milk is the ideal “old fashioned” and nutritionally better way, but I refuse to jump on that bandwagon due to my concerns about food borne illness. That said, overall I’m convinced that we need to take a step back from processed items. The more we gravitate towards simple, natural, organic ingredients, the better off we’ll be. I will continue to enjoy organic whole milk with my family. Not only is it nutritionally superior, it is a heck of a lot tastier than lowfat and nonfat milk.
What do you think? Have you considered switching to whole milk? Are you already drinking it? What do you think about organic dairy vs. non organic? Or have you eliminated milk from your diet completely? I’d love to hear from you.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Growing up on only pasteurized skim milk and margarine (yuck!) my transition to full fat dairy was not easy. After taking my time and doing my research, I am now a very, very happy raw, grass-fed, whole milk enthusiast. It has been years and I will never go back. I also love my raw cultured butter. Next goal: make my own cottage cheese with raw, whole milk. I have never felt so satisfied and my rate of dental carries, a problem I experienced for 20 years, is no longer!
Hi there. One thing I am concerned about, is that most organic milks are ULTRA PASTEURIZED. Ultra Pasteurization is a heating process that in my and thousands of others’ opinion, destroy all the vitamins and minerals in milk. If you are going for milk – and not switching to just almond for everything (I think soy is dangerous for many people as it has been linked to some cancers in both sexes,) then you should look for milk that is not ultra pasteurized. There are some. Believe it or not, I sometimes will select a NON ORGANIC milk that is free of hormones than go for organic that is ultra pasteurized. That’s how strongly I believe in this. Please do some research on the subject. I would love for all organic companies to stop this or at least provide some milk without the process. Just plain old pasteurization. I know the ultra makes for a longer shelf life – but so do chemical preservatives, which hopefully many of us have given up. (or pesticides on the fields — terrible.) Regards, Diane L
I buy fat free organic milk for myself – I use it only in cereal and I ed coffee, and the occasional scrambled egg or crustless quiche. I dislike the taste and texture of whole fat milk, & I dislike almond and soy milks, so this is the only thing that works for me. I made the switch to organic a few years ago and I believe it is much healthier than non-organic milk.
This is fascinating! I drank whole milk as a kid (I’m 65), and I have been drinking Lactaid for years, usually 1 or 2%. The idea of not actually being lactose intolerant is hard for me to believe, but I can try organic and still take Lactaid pills, so maybe I will give this a try. (when I was first diagnosed, it was a huge change when I quit doing regular milk. I lost 10 lbs. in a month, so my doctor was convinced I was lactose intolerant.) I don’t know what I will think of whole milk after all these years. One of the problems, at least at my grocery store, is that I have to buy 1/2 gallon, they don’t sell organic milk in smaller amounts. So if I don’t like it, I guess I can cook or bake with it. I too have started to come back to real butter. My husband isn’t sure about all this, he’s been eating margarine or the ‘light’ butter by Land o’Lakes for years. (he’s a doctor, so I’m sure he’ll have comments for me!) Thanks for all the information.
We’ve been using full fat “organic” for several years now. There’s nothing like it! I wish I knew where to find raw mlk in our area of western KY. I know, that should be a breeze, living in a rural area but since the FDA has cracked down on raw dairy sales, there are far less dairies/farmers who sell raw milk now. My grandparents were farmers and had regular customers who purchased fresh milk, butter, eggs, produce and even “sugar-cured” country hams in the fall. There’s nothing like fresh unprocessed foods for nourishing our families.
My SIL gave me an article that milk from Jersey (breed not State) was a different protein and people were tolerant to it. The article was from Mother Jones and stated that when people come to this country they always said that the milk made their stomachs sick. In the US most of the milk does not come from Jersey cows but a European firm was trying a second time to see if it would catch on.
…… I swear by Tori’s recipe for Almond Milk and use only that because it is healthy. I do thin it down, so if you use the organic milk from the farm, why not dilute it like we do with the almond milk to be the 30 calorie drink?
…….For those purchasing the almond milk, never thought of this till now – Why not dilute yourself the full almond milk?
I switched years ago when I read it was much better for you do to the fact that it is the least processed! I belive things are better in their” whole state”. I happen to work for an Organic Grocer & have been fortunate enough to have learned A LOT along he way!
We switched from skim milk to lowfat milk this past year because it keeps longer in the refrigerator. I no longer dispose jugs of milk that have gone bad far before the “use by” date. I wonder if whole milk would keep longer than lowfat milk in the fridge.
Way lower in carbs!
I made the switch from cow’s milk to Unsweetened Original Almond Milk.
I’m a whole milk girl, real butter etc. not one cavity and I’m 53 yrs old! Weight is spot on and look and feel healthy! Wouldn’t have it any other way!
You really thought a lot about this….Thanks for doing the research. And I agree, I am not ready to increase my risk of foodborne illness with raw milk.
One of the things I love about living where I am now – the heart of a truly Amish area in Lancaster County, PA – is being able to find farm fresh everything! Tastier, and I feel so much better. Fresh organic is doable on a limited budget in this area.
Something a lot of folks aren’t familiar with in regard to milk-if you are buying right from a farm or co-op, you will often notice one batch tastes different from another. This is because of the difference in feed through the course of an agricultural year, not because there is anything wrong with the milk. And if you find a dairy that has an all-Jersey herd (a breed of dairy cow), you will notice a difference as well. Jersey milk generally has more of the good fats and protein than a lot of other cow breeds.
So if you’re buying directly from a farm, do your research in advance, and talk to your farmer about their herd! All cows and all herd are not created equal. 🙂
Barbara is so right. Look up the a1 a2 milk debate … Jersey is best for you, tho I was raised on a Holstein dairy and can’t stand the taste of what is sold as milk today in general grocery stores. There is a definite difference nutritionally, digestively, and taste-wise between store- and grass-fed cow’s milk. If you want nutrient-dense, look to raw.
When I cannot get milk from my local farmer, it’s what we have in our house. My daughter has occasionally had not-whole milk and thinks it’s just water. I agree. 😀
I drink almond milk!!!!!
I’ve switched off of lowfat and nonfat products and I’m encouraging others to do the same. Reading labels. Haven’t made the switch to organic, altho I’d like to.
Yes I tend to keep to whole food where possible including Milk.
The high butter fat content of organic Finnish ice cream is the only kind of ice cream I can eat without getting gastric disturbances. It also doesn’t hurt my sensitive teeth like the typical American versions.
I got dairy intolerance After i had switch to a vegan diet for 4 years. My stomach wasn’t ready for consuming milk again, but I think milk is always going to be milk from animals in my eyes. I don’t like the taste of milk if its not cold, but i use whole milk in baking and cooking and even in coffee and other drinks. I also use high fat yoghurt because My stomach likes it much much better than the low fat ones.
I have too!
This is fascinating, Tori! Thanks for sharing!
nope–i only drink and eat goat or sheep dairy–much much healthier
Low fat anything is horrible.
Ha, been drinking whole milk all along. Just like I’ve always used real butter. Real Food is always better.
Since you have started the whole vs part debate, I might add yoghurt and a few other full fat products into the picture. In my household, we only buy full fat milk, full cream yoghurt, and real butter. No substitutes. I also eat lashings of olive oil home made mayonnaise, coconut and olive oil. We have no diet products in our fridge especially soft drinks. I have always believed in eating whole pure food as nature intended, no changes to its structure . We have tried to keep refined out of our diet where and when it is possible. And yes we do eat cakes and desserts. As the exception eg challah on Shabbat is thankfully once a week! But our everyday meal plan consists of completely whole foods, and as little refined as is possible. which for me is where the low fat/ fat free milk and other fit into this discussion. By the way, no issues of weight gain either, in fact without doubt we are trimmer in general. Oh ! And maybe I’m just a wee bit happier too, deprivation is a grumpy feeling !
Thank you so much Tory I will defiantly try the resepie!
Almond love it !
I switched a long time ago – when my sons and daughters were little.
We made the same switch you did for the same reason. I agree, to strongly caution people against unpasteurized milk. It’s what killed my grandmother back in the 40’s. It’s no safer now that it was then.
Oh Carol I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I agree that many people are too unconcerned about the dangers of unpasteurized products. While I believe in returning to our roots and enjoying food the old fashioned way, I also believe that many modern developments are there to protect us and our health. Thank you for sharing your story!
Well I appreciate you acknowledging the dangers—-they are very real. It is a tragic part of family history.
I can’t drink whole milk, it tastes like I’m drinking melted butter, blech.
I use organic coconut almond milk.
I’m sticking with Coffee Mate. 🙂
But for tea and cereal I use organic whole milk. The flavour is far superior and it doesn’t have hormones in.
We get local whole milk (delivered; not certified organic, but pastured a good part of the year) — one important thing is that a lot of organic milk in grocery stores is ultra-pasteurized, which kills a lot of the reasons for buying ‘better’ milk. 🙂
I have no problem with it. I agree that there are too many additives of all kinds in all of the food and drink we consume. One thing I wish people would actually consider is what would happen to our supply if we stopped giving meat/dairy animals antibiotics that keep them healthy and productive in this global economy. If we went back to ‘the day’ of our grandparents and great grandparents and fed all stock nothing but the grains we grow, that would leave us all open to an over abundance of disease in our stock and in ourselves as well as outlandishly high prices when production/availability of quality product goes back to 1930 levels. Not all science and tech is bad. The US feeds most of the globe in one way or another. If we stop doing all these things, there will be nothing on the shelves at the store, what is there will be 3X more expensive, and you will really have no clue as to how unhealthy these animals are.
As the daughter of a retired agri-business professor I think you make some excellent points. I’m glad that progress is being made and that organic agriculture is on the rise, but it can’t happen overnight. I agree that there have been many positive scientific and technological advancements in food production, and modern doesn’t always equal bad. As with everything, there is truth on both sides– which is why I always try to take a balanced approach to these subjects.
Your mindset is exactly why we have a problem in today’s meat and dairy production. You shouldn’t give animals (or humans) antibiotics to keep them healthy, you should give them when necessary to make them healthy when they are sick. A lot of Bacteria are good, and over usage of Antibiotics (in animals and humans) are problematic in that they destroy good bacteria making it easier for bad bacteria to make you sick, and they make bad bacteria more resilient against antibiotics (which is why we have to constantly work to develop new antibiotics as the older ones are no longer as effective if at all).
Considering all the advances we have made in science and medicine, our stock are actually in embarrassingly poor shape. I don’t know if you have ever seen mass cattle farms or chicken houses, but they are disgusting and dangerous. Cattle is often forced to stand in their own waste leading to infections, not to mention that they don’t have room to move let alone graze (and look up what that does to a goes digestive track and in result to the meat you then consume).
Another problem is a lot of us have become detached from the production. We pick up our milk in plastic jugs and meat in vacuum packages at the supermarket (cheapest is best :() and have no idea about the whole process until it ends up in our supermarkets.
I have been learning more and more about the benefits of Raw Whole Milk vs regular milk. WOW!! AND I am not having the dairy issues I used to have from the regular dairy.
yep!
What is your stance on GMOs’? As for milk, nothing is better than farm fresh, grass fed cow’s milk? I buy from a farm when possible otherwise I buy organic milk at the grocery store. We also use coconut milk and hemp milk.
Kelly I avoid GMO’s and buy organic whenever possible, however many families are not in a financial position to make that choice. I feel lucky that I can.
I and my family drink healthy raw whole milk. I used to suffer from a number of auto-immune diseases. and my son had three life threatening lung diseases along with cardiac issues and other rare health disorders. My diseases are in complete remission, and have been since a month after starting the raw milk regimen, and my son’s diseases are affecting his life less often and less dramatically. Coincidence? Perhaps. I prefer to believe that coincidence is G-d’s way of doing something remarkable and wanting to remaining anonymous.
As far as GMO’s are concerned, I think we should be concerned. Not of all the information out there is hyped. Here is a link I found to be interesting and educational.
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58
Have a blessed day! 🙂
I have switched to the wonderful rich milk right from the cows. Worth the time drive & cost. I skim some of the cream from each gal. to make my butter & whipping cream. It is out of this world by far better tasting than organic from the store. I love to see the “girls” who gave the milk & give them a pet on their heads and thank them each time. LOL Can’t beat it for sure!!
I have been drinking organic milk for years, mostly 2% but whole too. We drink milk and like it a lot.
I’ve also been buying whole organic milk to add to coffee instead of low fat or half and half, my only concern is the quality of regulation over organic foods.
Guess I am strange. Have always used whole milk. never have been able to stomach white colored water. No nut milks allowed in my house though, unless.I plan to go coffin shopping first.
I made the switch to organic whole milk from 1% when I was pregnant because I craved it. I’m still drinking it now that my baby is 2 1/2 months old and I am thinner than I was before I was pregnant.
I would love to find a farm near me that sells milk. I drink almond milk but I have been hearing that almond/soy milk is not that good for you because it’s highly processed. Not sure if this is true but sure would like to find out.
Tiggers I have a post on how to make your own raw almond milk, so you know exactly what goes into it. It’s actually very easy. Here’s a link if you’re interested: http://theshiksa.com/2013/06/24/how-to-make-almond-milk/
Soy is not good for male children or anybody for that matter. Don’t make the mistake that I did. Goat milk is best animal milk. Coconut and almond are good vegetarian milks according to my personal extensive research. You might wanna look into it yourself.
That is awesome Tory! Thank you so much! And Thanks for the input Sara! 😀
Know your source of soy. The vast majority of soy products are from GMO plants.
Does it taste good?
Nancy my family absolutely loves it! It’s a big change from skim if that’s what you’re used to. It’s much more creamy and flavorful.
Tastes like cream, compared to regular skim. Delicious.
Our family made the switch to organic skim milk years ago…there are two members of our household with IBS so drinking whole milk is not possible for them. We are so accustomed to skim milk that whole milk tastes like cream to us now. I do use it in some recipes for time to time.
I switched to whole milk several years ago because my husband spent some time working on equipment at a dairy place and said they added water and other stuff to the low fat milks. I didn’t think paying milk prices for water was smart!
I only use almond milk.
I like coconut milk and almond milk, if I do drink cows milk, it has always been organic whole milk, when I was doing the buying
I’m not jumping on the bandwagon with organic milk (seems as though producers have different definitions of what “organic” means to them.) I do however, subscribe to healthier eating by avoiding processed foods.
I’ve been drinking skim milk since I was a little kid. As an adult I switched to organic skim. I’ve tried organic whole milk, but I just can’t get used to it. It tasted like drinking melted butter, ugh.
I grew up as a child on milk straight from our local dairy. The kind you have to skim the cream off of. As a young adult, I wouldn’t touch anything but skim. Then I got pregnant with my first, and found that I not only craved whole milk, but it helped me feel better. I thought that was fascinating. Now, I use and drink whole milk–not a lot, but I definitely feel like it’s better for me.
I had not heard about this. I have an 18 month old boy and we go through a LOT of milk. Where do you buy organic milk? I live in the middle of nowhere Georgia and Walmart is really the only store we have. Is organic milk expensive? Around here a gallon of Great Value whole milk is $4.18 so I am not sure I could afford organic if it is much more expensive than that. Any info would be great. Thank you for posting the article!
Emily that’s a great question. I live in California and our regular grocery stores carry organic milk, as well as Walmart, but I’m not sure about Georgia. If you can track it down it’s great, but it is a bit more expensive than regular milk. Perhaps you might be able to find a local dairy that sells organic? It might be cheaper to buy from the source. Just a thought! Best of luck.
We’re in GA! I get raw milk which is actually the best, both health-wise and taste-wise. There are lots of farms that sell it. I could help direct you if you give me a better idea of which part of GA you live in.
I live in Cochran, GA
I heard about this, and I’m just so frustrated! When my son turned three, they told me to switch him to 2% milk in the interest of preventing obesity, and I’ve been drinking skim since I was a child! It seems “they” are always changing their minds on what’s best for our health! I can’t keep up! Ugh!
Nakia I hear you, it’s hard to keep up with it all. I think ultimately you just have to take in the information and research that is currently available and make the best choice for you and your family. I agree it can be frustrating!
been drinking whole organic milk for about 4 yrs,there a big difference in taste,even the kids could tell, and enjoy it more
I’ve been drinking Organic milk for a long time for all the reasons you wrote about. Something about REAL milk makes me happy. Fortunately, I live in a rural area where there is an abundance of organic food. I buy produce, eggs, and meat from local farms…and fresh goat cheese. It isn’t Kosher, but it is healthier than store-bought meats and produce. I’m not Orthodox and don’t follow strict dietary laws.
We switched to organic, non-homogenized HTST pasteurized, whole milk last November and won’t ever go back. Regular milk makes me sick, I can drink milk from a local farm with no problems. And it cooks and bakes so nice! Because it is lower temp pasteurization, we can make cheese from this milk. Some organic milk from the larger companies use a high temp process which kills everything and it will not work for cheese. This milk tastes like nothing else we have ever had. We even have a milkman! We love visiting the farm and meeting the animals, we feel more connected.
Love that Terri! So interesting. I’ll look into it for my family too. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t have a milkman 🙁 BUT, I do buy from a local dairy that sells the non-homogenized low temp pasteurization. Fortunately, this dairy’s products are so popular, they are carried in almost every grocery.
I typically don’t “drink” milk but I use it as you do, Tori. I switched to organic whole milk some years ago, but just in the past 2 to this local dairy.
I also make nut milks and use cashew cream in place of heavy cream in everything. I use almond milk as well. I have a VitaMix which makes the nut milks very easy.
Liz I love my Vitamix! Great for homemade nut milks. 🙂
I switched to almond milk after wasting so many gallons of unfinished skim milk. Soon, however, I realized that store-bought almond milks were filled with preservatives and chemicals I didn’t want in my body. And, I don’t have time to make my own nut milks. Because both my husband and I can tolerate dairy, we made the switch back to milk and we are now buying organic low-fat or non-fat milk that comes from a sustainable farm in our state. Both my husband and I are triathletes and were in desperate need of extra calories and protein, and real milk helps meet these goals.
I am so glad you are sharing this!! We switched a year ago it took some convincing to persuade my 2% husband that it was healthier and not much more fat either 1% & 2% is just a gimmick and a yucky one at that!! Yay Organic!!!
Made the change to all organic dairy awhile ago… I have found we don’t consume as much.
No, but I don’t believe in using any of the altered foods…I want real cream, real butter, real milk, real food. 🙂 I’m an old fashioned Jewish woman. No fake food, thank you. I grew up on dairy farm milk. My teeth are strong and I’ve never had a filling or a cavity … my bones don’t break when I fall … and I’m healthy as a horse. Knock on wood! <3 you.
Vicki I am so with you there! More and more I find myself feeling like we should eat more natural and “back to basics,” like our great grandparents ate.
I haven’t convinced myself to make the jump from 2% organic, but aside from the healthful reasons you’ve pointed out, carbs are also always higher in nonfat dairy products.
I am a breast cancer survivor . Whole milk is a concern for me because of growth hormones. But I need the D and calcium because of my bones. I have sourced out other foods and vitamin replacements for the D and calcium and given up milk altogether. I don’t miss it.
Interesting. I use full fat dairy because I am lactose intolerant & it gives the gut longer transit time to try to digest it. Worth investigating. Thanks.
Ruth that is fascinating! I’ve never heard that before but it makes sense.
A huge percentage of people who think they are lactose intolerant (like 90%) are actually just allergic to the toxic chemical used in the homogenization process in milk. Switching to organic milk will almost eliminate it… better still raw will remove the problem completely.
I also recently switched from organic 1% to organic whole.
Hmmm…
No I haven’t heard
I only use organic milk….before I switched I thought I might be lactose intolerance. So glad that my issue was conventional milk, not REAL milk.
Hi Julie I always drank conventional milk about a gallon a week. My stomach would rumble and sometimes cause acid reflux. So last night I bought my first Organic milk and I am very happy no Rumbling and best of all its the best milk I have had in a long time
We switched from organic 2% to organic whole milk about a year ago for the same reasons. It was really hard to do as I grew up in the era of “fat free is best” but all signs point to organic whole milk being best for my kids. Better at keeping them full and better for their brain and health overall.
I only use almond milk.
So with the almond milk..do I need to get organically grown almonds for the milk? I cannot find aplace to go get a list of hormone and antibiotic free milk/dairies. Just how do you know?
Chris, that would be your choice. Some people prefer organic, some don’t.
I switched to cream in my coffee.
I first made the switch quite a few years ago to organic milk, but last july I gave us dairy all together, and currently only use coconut milk.
Cheryl: I haven’t checked, but can coconut milk be frozen? I don’t think I can use a whole 1/2 gallon before it would go bad.
We did too. I heard about it several weeks ago and changed it over for my son.
I made the switch to organic a year or two ago. It makes sense to avoid pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in our food. Not as sure about the whole v skim question: My teenage son drinks whole milk and the rest of us drink fat free.
Organic doesn’t mean pesticide free. Please don’t assume that. I’m not so concerned about GMO crops, as the scientific studies show lots of benefits, and the vast majority of anti-GMO crowd are spreading propaganda that is often times false or at best not backed scientifically. I am concerned about adding hormones to cattle. I need to do research on that issue to see if it’s harmful or beneficial, but, with the risks associated in humans with hormone therapy, one could HYPOTHESIZE (notice, this science geek did not use theorize) that there are similar issues in cattle as they are mammals. Could those hormones also affect humans as well?