Whole Milk Calories

A lot of us make a face at the thought of drinking milk, without considering the number of benefits it has for the body. All of us know that milk is good for our bones, then why don't we consume it more often? And when it comes to whole milk, the case is absolutely overlooked thinking that the calories in whole milk will contribute to our overall calorie intake and lead to us gaining weight. While that is partially true, there are several reasons why we are advised to drink whole milk. These reasons will be seen after we first take a look at the nutritional information of and the number of calories in whole milk.

Calories in Whole Milk

Whole milk is milk in its purest form which means it includes all nutrients, even fat. Unlike skimmed milk from which most of the fat content has been removed, whole milk consists of healthy fats that are helpful particularly for those trying to gain weight. While you may believe that all these calories are fattening and unhealthy, it is important to for you to know the other nutrition that it provides to your body. Here's a look into the nutritional information of whole milk.

The nutrition information provided below is for 1 cup or 244 g of whole milk (3.25% milk fat) where:

• g = grams
• mg = milligrams
• mcg = micrograms
• IU = International Units

Nutrients	Nutritional Value	% Daily Value
Calories	146	-
Fat	8 g	12%
Protein	7.9 g	16%
Carbohydrates	12.8 g	4%
Vitamin A	249 IU	5%
Vitamin D	97.6 iU	24%
Thiamin	0.1 mg	7%
Riboflavin	0.4 mg	26%
Vitamin B6	0.1 mg	4%
Vitamin B12	1.1 mcg	18%
Pantothenic Acid	0.9mg	9%
Choline	34.9 mg	-
Calcium	276 mg	28%
Phosphorus	222 mg	22%
Potassium	349 mg	10%
Sodium	97.6 mg	4%
Zinc	1.0 mg	7%
Selenium	9.0 mcg	13%
Cholesterol	24.4 mg	8%

As you can see from the aforementioned nutrition facts, the calories in one glass may range around 150. These however, are healthy calories, particularly for kids who are very thin and need to put on weight. The whole milk fat content is in fact great for very thin people of all ages. Also, the nutrition content of whole milk is suitable for toddlers and children who cannot be breast-fed or consume the formula that is given to them. Whole milk is packed with all the nutrition necessary for growing children, and may be introduced at the age of twelve months.

In order to prevent osteoporosis, a condition caused where the bones become weak due to lack of calcium, women should consume whole milk as it is a great source of both, calcium and vitamin D. However, the prevalence of (extreme) calorie consciousness nowadays has led to loss of faith in the powers of whole milk as a great provider of necessary nutrition. It has in fact become all about the calories and the weight gain thereafter. This is the reason why people tend to choose to drink skim milk vs. whole milk. Though skimmed milk is enriched with certain nutrients while processing, purists still believe that whole milk that has not been processed in any manner is always going to be a better choice in order to provide all the nutrition that milk should provide. They also believe that whole milk is better tasting than low fat or skimmed milk.

Eventually, whether whole or skimmed, milk is essential in everyone's diet and should therefore be consumed in any case. Those who are prone to obesity may benefit from consuming skimmed milk than whole milk. Also, children who are born in families prone to obesity may be given skimmed milk at a younger age so that they cannot tell the transition from whole to skimmed milk. In any case, based on your body type, your BMI (Body Mass Index), and the essential nutrients required by you, you may consume whole milk. It is best to consult your doctor or nutritionist before you make it a part of your diet. A professional will be able to tell you exactly what you will benefit from or be affected by, by drinking whole milk.