7 ms·

If you've been drinking 2% milk since childhood because that's what your family drank, I suggest you try whole milk. You might never go back because the taste

If you've been drinking 2% milk since childhood because that's what your family drank, I suggest you try whole milk. You might never go back because the taste difference is unbelievable.

borplk 13y ago
Please pardon my ignorance but what exactly is the difference?
- bluedino 13y ago
  It's just different. From whole to 2% to skim you have big differences in how rich the milk tastes. Once you get used to one, it's hard to go back to the others. I always drank whole milk, so skim tasted like water. Then I started only drinking skim milk, and whole tasted like ice cream. I don't have any dairy issues but it's very, very rare that I drink milk anymore these days, but I still enjoy it.
- aestra 13y ago
  It tastes completely different, much thicker, much rich. 2% tastes almost like water compared to whole milk. The first time I had whole milk was at an after school program I went to in elementary school. They fed us a snack first thing when we got there. One day they gave us (whole) milk with our snack. Almost everyone (including me) took a sip and complained the milk was bad/tasted funky. The head person of the place came out and told us the milk was fine, we were all just not used to drinking whole milk. I still don't like the taste of any cow's milk too much, I prefer unsweetened soy milk. Soy milk also lasts forever in the fridge which is a big plus for me.
skywhopper 13y ago
It's even better if you grew up drinking skim or 1/2%.
clarkevans 13y ago
My 4 year old daughter was drinking a modest amount whole milk when the pediatrician recommended we switch to skim milk. We did, and her consumption of Milk more than doubled (skim milk is sweeter and lighter) and she got more irritable (more sugar?). We switched back.
- JPKab 13y ago
  Any pediatrician that recommends skim milk is a fucking idiot, plain and simple. Get a new doctor. I'm not super impressed with the average doctor in the USA these days, but most decent pediatricians tell parents to give kids whole milk. If they are remotely educated on nutrition beyond decades old medical school knowledge, they are aware that current guidelines state that the additional fat soluble nutrients in whole milk are great for kids. My son's pediatrician told us (when he was 2), "don't even waste your time with anything other than whole milk. Otherwise you get all of the sugar with little of the vitamins"
  - bhousel 13y ago
    This is actually interesting. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends transitioning kids over to skim milk at age 2. This is because they are trying to fight the obesity epidemic. See recent publications on their HALF inititive: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/HALF-Implementation-Guide/Pages/About-HALF.aspx http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-init... As you can imagine, this has caused some controversy in the pediatrics world. The pediatrician we go to still recommends whole or 2% milk for our toddler. She actually makes a point to tell us any time her recommendations conflict with the official AAP recommendations and why, which I think is a really nice thing for a doctor to do.
    - Consultant32452 13y ago
      Your doctor is awesome. "The AAP recommends this, but only because it's trying to fight childhood obesity. Your kid is nowhere near obese so let's give her the best diet for her as an individual."
_delirium 13y ago
I've tried it on and off but have trouble actually drinking a glass. Using it to make a rich hot chocolate works for me, but I can't drink a glass of plain, unflavored whole milk... just tastes gross, like I'm drinking some kind of butter-in-water mixture. Sort of how I like butter on toast, but not by itself on a spoon. (Warm whole milk, as is popular in some countries, is even worse.)
- db48x 13y ago
  That's because milk _is_ tiny chunks of butter suspended in water. Agitating the milk causes the fat globules to collide and occasionally stick together.
- yoodenvranx 13y ago
  Have you ever tried warm whole milk mixed with honey? That's my favorite drink for cold days.
  - bhousel 13y ago
    Yes, this is good! Also try it with some cardamom and vanilla.
    - _delirium 13y ago
      Hmm, this actually sounds promising. I do like hot chocolate made with whole milk, so other variations on the spiced-milk idea might work too.
  - colinbartlett 13y ago
    Don't forget a little bit of salted butter in there, too!
- JoeAltmaier 13y ago
  Its about expectation. Pick up a glass of milk thinking its orange juice, drink it - it's gross! Then you look - oh, OJ, that's ok then.
omnibrain 13y ago
And then try raw, unhomogenized, unpasteurized milk. :D It will feel like angels dancing on your tongue.
- shiftpgdn 13y ago
  That's illegal in most if not all of the US.
  - 213424355352255 13y ago
    Not really. There are many states that allow farmers to sell raw milk; some only for pet consumption. The illegal part is generally about 'smuggling' raw milk across state borders.
  - drcube 13y ago
    No, it isn't. It's illegal to sell it across state lines, or in some places to the general public. But in most states, you can buy it at a farm, or other licensed facility. It isn't like heroin, or even pot, and you won't get in trouble for possession. http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm
    - shiftpgdn 13y ago
      Looks like I'm wrong, but it also looks like in most of the country where you can buy it you can only buy it from the farmer directly. So it's still not easy to get.
- actionscripted 13y ago
  With the added benefit of being able to chew it all day.
- 213424355352255 13y ago
  Wish I could upvote this more. The health difference between pasteurized milk and raw milk is roughly equivalent to the flavor difference between the two - huge. If you must drink pasteurized milk, full fat is your only option.
x0x0 13y ago
and 1% or skim taste like dirty water

If you've been drinking 2% milk since childhood because that's what your family drank, I suggest you try whole milk. You might never go back because the taste difference is unbelievable.

borplk 13y ago

Please pardon my ignorance but what exactly is the difference?

bluedino 13y ago
It's just different. From whole to 2% to skim you have big differences in how rich the milk tastes. Once you get used to one, it's hard to go back to the others. I always drank whole milk, so skim tasted like water. Then I started only drinking skim milk, and whole tasted like ice cream. I don't have any dairy issues but it's very, very rare that I drink milk anymore these days, but I still enjoy it.
aestra 13y ago
It tastes completely different, much thicker, much rich. 2% tastes almost like water compared to whole milk. The first time I had whole milk was at an after school program I went to in elementary school. They fed us a snack first thing when we got there. One day they gave us (whole) milk with our snack. Almost everyone (including me) took a sip and complained the milk was bad/tasted funky. The head person of the place came out and told us the milk was fine, we were all just not used to drinking whole milk. I still don't like the taste of any cow's milk too much, I prefer unsweetened soy milk. Soy milk also lasts forever in the fridge which is a big plus for me.

skywhopper 13y ago

It's even better if you grew up drinking skim or 1/2%.

clarkevans 13y ago

My 4 year old daughter was drinking a modest amount whole milk when the pediatrician recommended we switch to skim milk. We did, and her consumption of Milk more than doubled (skim milk is sweeter and lighter) and she got more irritable (more sugar?). We switched back.

JPKab 13y ago
Any pediatrician that recommends skim milk is a fucking idiot, plain and simple. Get a new doctor. I'm not super impressed with the average doctor in the USA these days, but most decent pediatricians tell parents to give kids whole milk. If they are remotely educated on nutrition beyond decades old medical school knowledge, they are aware that current guidelines state that the additional fat soluble nutrients in whole milk are great for kids. My son's pediatrician told us (when he was 2), "don't even waste your time with anything other than whole milk. Otherwise you get all of the sugar with little of the vitamins"
- bhousel 13y ago
  This is actually interesting. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends transitioning kids over to skim milk at age 2. This is because they are trying to fight the obesity epidemic. See recent publications on their HALF inititive: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/HALF-Implementation-Guide/Pages/About-HALF.aspx http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-init... As you can imagine, this has caused some controversy in the pediatrics world. The pediatrician we go to still recommends whole or 2% milk for our toddler. She actually makes a point to tell us any time her recommendations conflict with the official AAP recommendations and why, which I think is a really nice thing for a doctor to do.
  - Consultant32452 13y ago
    Your doctor is awesome. "The AAP recommends this, but only because it's trying to fight childhood obesity. Your kid is nowhere near obese so let's give her the best diet for her as an individual."

_delirium 13y ago

I've tried it on and off but have trouble actually drinking a glass. Using it to make a rich hot chocolate works for me, but I can't drink a glass of plain, unflavored whole milk... just tastes gross, like I'm drinking some kind of butter-in-water mixture. Sort of how I like butter on toast, but not by itself on a spoon. (Warm whole milk, as is popular in some countries, is even worse.)

db48x 13y ago
That's because milk _is_ tiny chunks of butter suspended in water. Agitating the milk causes the fat globules to collide and occasionally stick together.
yoodenvranx 13y ago
Have you ever tried warm whole milk mixed with honey? That's my favorite drink for cold days.
- bhousel 13y ago
  Yes, this is good! Also try it with some cardamom and vanilla.
  - _delirium 13y ago
    Hmm, this actually sounds promising. I do like hot chocolate made with whole milk, so other variations on the spiced-milk idea might work too.
- colinbartlett 13y ago
  Don't forget a little bit of salted butter in there, too!
JoeAltmaier 13y ago
Its about expectation. Pick up a glass of milk thinking its orange juice, drink it - it's gross! Then you look - oh, OJ, that's ok then.

omnibrain 13y ago

And then try raw, unhomogenized, unpasteurized milk. :D It will feel like angels dancing on your tongue.

shiftpgdn 13y ago
That's illegal in most if not all of the US.
- 213424355352255 13y ago
  Not really. There are many states that allow farmers to sell raw milk; some only for pet consumption. The illegal part is generally about 'smuggling' raw milk across state borders.
- drcube 13y ago
  No, it isn't. It's illegal to sell it across state lines, or in some places to the general public. But in most states, you can buy it at a farm, or other licensed facility. It isn't like heroin, or even pot, and you won't get in trouble for possession. http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm
  - shiftpgdn 13y ago
    Looks like I'm wrong, but it also looks like in most of the country where you can buy it you can only buy it from the farmer directly. So it's still not easy to get.
actionscripted 13y ago
With the added benefit of being able to chew it all day.
213424355352255 13y ago
Wish I could upvote this more. The health difference between pasteurized milk and raw milk is roughly equivalent to the flavor difference between the two - huge. If you must drink pasteurized milk, full fat is your only option.

x0x0 13y ago

and 1% or skim taste like dirty water