Watering down milk.

[mommy4ever]

I read this tip and though... what a great idea! Take whole milk, cut it with 1/2 water, and voila! 1% milk.

Then I brought home whole milk...thinking about it.


When they prepare the milk. They aren't adding water to the milk, they are removing the fat from the milk. Skim, they remove all the fat, 1% they removed all but 1% of the fat, etc. They aren't changing anything but the fat content.

So by adding 1/2 water, sure the fat is now 1/2, but ALL the nutrients are now 1/2. The added vitamin D is now only 1/2 of what it was. Everything is watered down.

For those whose little ones need milk to meet their dietary requirements, this is NOT a good thing to do! They are only getting 50% of the nutrients

I don't know, it seemed like a good idea, but then thinking it through, it didn't make sense.

Just a thought.

[annymoll]

I never dilute milk. It changes the nutritional content.You should discuss it with your healthcare provider.( I once knew a lady who was doing that with baby formula to "save money".)They are removing fat content from the milk to make 2%, 1%, skim- not adding water to it.

[Holly]

Milk is 90% water when it comes out of the cow.
Its just the whey your drinking at 1%

[lwlynch]

You could split it with dried milk and make a double batch..??

[nuisance26]

~Yeah, I wouldn't give my kids watered down milk at their young age(plus they're scrawny!). But I do water it down for me. It helps me to cut down my servings of dairy. I always have more than 3 servings a day so it's a good thing for me.~

[kimmer182]

I have read people trying this and you will cut half the nutrients. It is not recommend doing this. Powered milk, if you can drink it is an economical way to save on milk.

[Ebbie]

I like to drink milk, more than I need for daily nutrients, so here's what I do.

I mix 2 cups whole milk with 2 cups water and then add 1/3 cup powerdered milk and mix. 1/3 powdered milk is equivalent to 1 cup skim milk. So basically I'm getting milk with 3/4 of the nutrients of regular milk at slightly over half the cost (powdered milk is cheaper than regular milk where I am). I find that just watering the milk makes it taste a bit watery but adding the powdered perks it up again without giving it an overpowering powdered taste (I can't drink plain powdered milk, don't like the taste). So this works for me.

[IntlMom]

I can;t bring myself to water down milk. It just seems wrong to me, shomehow.

[kestrel91316]

Women in Third World countries who have been conned into feeding baby formula instead of breast milk, and then can't afford to keep buying the formula, have been inadvertently STARVING their children to death for decades by overdiluting the formula to save money.

NEVER water down your child's milk. You cut the levels of protein and minerals down when you do this. It's false economy and bordering on child abuse, IMHO.

[danni]

I have been watering down our milk for years and I do know that it waters down the nutrition also because I talked to my dr about it. He said considering the amount the kids drink it won't make a difference for their health. I haven't watered it down for the youngest up until nowbut will be soon because she is turning 5 soon. I DON'T CONSIDER THIS TO BE CHILD ABUSE AT ALL AND NEITHER DO THE 2 DRS(FAMILY AND PEDIATRICIAN) I HAVE TALKED TO ABOUT IT!!!

[warramra]

One thing to keep in mind is that milk is a horrible source for all these 'nutrients'. In a balanced diet children(over age 2) and adults should be getting these nutrients from other foods. Milk is not the 'be all' in the dairy family. Many people of ancestry other than European cannot tolerate milk, and do fine. In fact I question the idea that mothers in Africa should be giving children westernized formula or powdered milk to drink in any concentration due to the high rates of lactose intolerance among Africans. After age 2 I limit how much milk my children get and have no problems with watering down whole milk although we do add some powder for flavor. And also be aware that as our bodies age we lose the enzymes that help to breakdown cow's milk which is why older people tend to become lactose intolerant.

[Quatermass]

Easy solution - don't water, just drink less milk.

If your kids are getting 15 minutes of daylight a day on their skin, their own bodies are making all the Vit D they need. Vitamin D isn't like vitamin C or some of the B vitamins - it isn't water-soluble, so your body doesn't flush any excess out in your urine - it stores it for future use. The only possible use enriched milk could be is to children living in abject poverty, suffering from malnutrition practically since birth, to prevent ricketts.

Plus, what the poster above said. Infants need milk - the best for them being their own mother's - to grow and thrive. The rest of us do not, no matter what the powerful and profitable dairy lobby tells you. Dairy products are an enjoyable source of nutrition, but hardly a unique one. Calcium can be had in spades from other sources.

After age 2 I limit how much milk my children get and have no problems with watering down whole milk although we do add some powder for flavor.

I wouldn't touch milk as a growing child. I grew up fine, taller than average, with strong healthy bones that have so far failed to break despite me taking some pretty spectacular falls off horses and bicycles onto concrete throughout my life. My mother never drank milk after infancy either, and at 72, her latest check-up bone scan showed she has bones 1/3 denser than the typical woman her age.

[hmcart]

I just cant bring myself to do it. I have to work hard enough t o get my bunch to drink the milk they need. A good gallon of whole fresh milk is probably our number one splurge here because we go through 2-3 a week

[qtkitty]

For kids who have issues drinking water this helps a lot hiding the water.

When i had 3 step kids (ranging 7-13 years old) there was one jug of watered down milk (1:1) made into chocolate milk if i didn't make it for them they had 1/4 a glass of chocolate syrup and 3/4 milk. When it was premade they were to lazy to go get more chocolate or make it themselves *rme* Goooo figure. Then there was a regular milk watered down about 1/4. We would go through 3-4 gallons of whole milk a week!!

Apple juice watered down 1/2. Other juices depending on taste watered down 1/4 to 1/2. Still went through a TON of those.

Used old soda bottles for mixing gatoraid mixed a little lighter then perscribed, but not much because my ex would have a FIT since that was the only thing he drank other then sprite.

I also mixed Kool Aid with extra water and 50% of the sugar required.

Those kids NEVER drank any water of any kind so i snuck it into their diet. Sodas were also in the house, but most of the time it was half 2lt of Sprite their dad wouldn't finish because it was "flat".

When i was little my mom used to water down all my drinks. Why because she couldn't get me to drink enough water. To this day i can not drink straight apple or grape juice it just tastes WAY WAY to sweet.

When i was growing up we only got Skim milk, when i was introduced to Whole milk. Ohhh Myyy GAWD i LOVED the stuff sooo much flavor *LOL* Even if you water it down 50% the flavor is great.

[POOTERSMOMMY]

I mentioned watering down milk on another thread. I didn't nec. mean for kids. We as adults know how to get our nutrients in many ways, so watering down milk is a budget stretcher. We always had 1% or 2% milk as a kid. I grew up quite healthy, as did my siblings.
I realize watering milk does reduce fat and nutrients, but what do we think the milk companies are doing? Cows don't give skim, 1%, or 2%. The milk companies water it down.
We both love milk, but the price is soooo expensive now days, and this just stretches the budget for us.