There are several varieties of milk that, depending on the method of preserving it, can be very different. Know what types of milk exist and how they differ.
The milk is an essential food of animal origin within a varied and balanced diet, thanks to its nutritional composition and nutritional richness, which makes it the most complete food for humans, as many think – and coincident nutritionists.
For example, it stands out for its high content of proteins of high biological value, which means that it is a tremendously complete food because it contains – and provides – all the essential amino acids, and also in certainly high proportions.
In addition, it also provides essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, which helps, among other things, to keep bones healthy and grow strong. For this reason, it becomes a very important food in children’s nutrition, thanks to the fact that this mineral is involved in the formation of both bones and teeth.
As many experts defend, a nutritious and healthy breakfast should include milk, or at least some dairy product such as yogurt or cheese, among your foods. In this way, we will ensure that the first meal of the day is as complete as possible.
However, the food industry uses various and different methods to preserve milk for long periods, in such a way that today there are different types and varieties of milk that we can buy in the supermarket depending on our own personal tastes.
Varieties and types of milk
Among the different types and varieties of milk that exist we find:
- Boiled milk: Boiling milk is a mandatory process, which modifies its taste and smell, in exchange for, of course, obtaining a certain hygienic guarantee.
- Prized milk (UHT): It is a procedure similar to the one that we will see below on sterilization, but with the advantages that, with it, all the flavor and the color itself of the milk are preserved. Incidentally, its nutritional value is absolutely similar to that of pasteurized milk, although its preservation is much longer as long as it is kept in containers protected from light and oxygen.
- Pasteurized milk: It is a milk treated at a temperature below boiling for approximately 15 seconds. With this treatment, pathogenic germs are destroyed, in such a way that most of the bacteria are destroyed, without affecting –of course- the different and different qualities of the milk. Of course, vitamin losses are minimal.
- Sterilized milk: Sterilized milk is obtained when the application of heat exceeds the boiling temperature. In this way, spores and microorganisms are destroyed, and their conservation can last around six months, although it is true that the losses of vitamins are much greater.
- Dried or powdered milk: Powdered milk is obtained after almost complete evaporation of the water contained in the milk. It is extremely easy to preserve, as long as it is stored in closed containers and in dry places. It can be obtained from skim milk or whole milk.
- Condensed milk: It is one of the most used when, for example, drinking coffee, and it is evaporated milk to which an equal weight of sugar has been added. Of course, it must be taken into account that 50% of its weight is sucrose, so it contains less fat and less protein, but at the same time a greater number of carbohydrates.
- Skim milk: It is a sterilized milk which has been extracted almost all of its fats or lipids, but preserving its calcium, lactose and proteins, although it will not retain fat-soluble vitamins.
The 3 most common types of milk
Although we have talked to you below about the different types of milk that we can consume every day, it is true that there are basically 3 varieties of milk that we usually drink daily: whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed. Do you know what each of them consists of? Take note:
- Whole milk: It consists of the most basic type of milk, since it has not undergone a process in which its cream content is reduced. Its flavor is therefore more complete, and it has a greater amount of saturated fat. Provides around 3.5% fat per 100ml. It is the most nutritionally recommended option for children, and also for healthy adults due to its nutritional richness.
- Semi-skimmed milk: Its fat content is somewhat lower, since the milk goes through a process of reducing cream, although in reality not all of it is eliminated. Contains between 1.5 and 1.8% fat per 100ml. It is a recommended option for those who want to reduce the caloric content of milk.
- Skim milk: It tends not to be so recommended by nutritionists, being only recommended when following a strict weight loss diet. Its fat content drops to 0.1% fat per 100ml.
As we can see, we can choose from a wide variety of milk, among many varieties and types. The key is, of course, to choose the one that we like the most.
