# 1% milk v skimmed milk



## lucy123 (Mar 14, 2011)

Hi all,

Does anyone know what the difference is between 1% (gold cap) milk and skimmed milk (red).

I have just been told they are the same, but am sure gold is more fattening than red?

Thanks all


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## Mark T (Mar 14, 2011)

Gold cap is 1% now?  I thought gold cap was "Jersey" milk and that was significantly higher fat then regular.

Skimmed milk is cloudy water I think  (can't stand the stuff)

Does this link help? http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=197


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## margie (Mar 14, 2011)

I went to the same site as Mark

This page gives a brief description of the various milk types

http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=43


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## Copepod (Mar 14, 2011)

1% milk has either an orange or a purple top - might that be the confusion with gold top Channel Island milk?
Skimmed milk (red top) is 0.1% fat; 1% milk - the fat content is in the name. 
Main advantage of 1% milk is cost - Sainsbury's charge ?1 for 4 pints, compared to about ?1.40 for 4 pints of other milk.


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## Unicornz (Mar 14, 2011)

How important is it to drink low fat milk? I've been told it would be better for me, but I really hate the taste of low fat milk so I never really do... Should I?


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## Northerner (Mar 14, 2011)

I tried some 1% milk, because it was cheaper, after being a skimmed milk drinker for years - I could still taste the fat in it and thought it was horrible! Stick with skimmed - only 1 tenth the fat (and more calcium!)


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## Northerner (Mar 14, 2011)

Unicornz said:


> How important is it to drink low fat milk? I've been told it would be better for me, but I really hate the taste of low fat milk so I never really do... Should I?



Ilse, it can take a little while to get used to it, but you do eventually and then you won't want the fattier kind - even 1% (see my earlier post!).


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## Mark T (Mar 14, 2011)

Northerner said:


> Ilse, it can take a little while to get used to it, but you do eventually and then you won't want the fattier kind - even 1% (see my earlier post!).


I still say it's cloudy water 

I've got an excuse to stick on semi anyway - skimmed isn't recommended for under 5's (actually we are still on full fat till his birthday next month).

I drink very little milk anyway - my (decaff) coffees and teas are all sans milk and I've dropped morning cerials.


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## Unicornz (Mar 14, 2011)

Mark T said:


> I still say it's cloudy water
> 
> I've got an excuse to stick on semi anyway - skimmed isn't recommended for under 5's (actually we are still on full fat till his birthday next month).
> 
> I drink very little milk anyway - my (decaff) coffees and teas are all sans milk and I've dropped morning cerials.



I agree with the cloudy water thing  Would it be disastrous in the long run if I stuck with semi-skimmed?


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## Northerner (Mar 14, 2011)

Unicornz said:


> I agree with the cloudy water thing  Would it be disastrous in the long run if I stuck with semi-skimmed?



Depends how much you drink really - extra fat=extra calories. If drinking milk to 'top up' your BG levels then fattier milk will hit your system more slowly.


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## Unicornz (Mar 14, 2011)

Northerner said:


> Depends how much you drink really - extra fat=extra calories. If drinking milk to 'top up' your BG levels then fattier milk will hit your system more slowly.



I've never really used milk to treat hypos. I only have some milk in my tea during the day, other than that I drink next to no milk. I use yoghurt for my granola cereal in the morning.


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## Northerner (Mar 14, 2011)

Unicornz said:


> I've never really used milk to treat hypos. I only have some milk in my tea during the day, other than that I drink next to no milk. I use yoghurt for my granola cereal in the morning.



No, I wouldn't use it to treat hypos either, unless I added sugar. I was thinking more of if your levels were around 4 and you fancied a drink of something other than pop


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## Unicornz (Mar 14, 2011)

Northerner said:


> No, I wouldn't use it to treat hypos either, unless I added sugar. I was thinking more of if your levels were around 4 and you fancied a drink of something other than pop



Yes you're right! I have heard of other people that they use it to treat hypos though so I thought that was what you meant  
I don't really drink pop either  I'm a bit of a tea-addict so I drink either that or some Robinsons sugarfree squash! Maybe I could do with drinking some more water though...


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## Northerner (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm a tea addict too - 7 to 8 mugs a day - but only with skimmed milk!


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## lucy123 (Mar 14, 2011)

I am quite surprised how easy I have taken to semi skimmed milk (and decaff coffee too!) so will stick with what the dr ordered - red top  only.

Thanks all for your posts.


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## caffeine_demon (Mar 14, 2011)

Mark T said:


> Gold cap is 1% now?  I thought gold cap was "Jersey" milk and that was significantly higher fat then regular.
> 
> Skimmed milk is cloudy water I think  (can't stand the stuff)
> 
> Does this link help? http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=197



interesting - I'd never heard of "breakfast milk"

Actually - I think cloudy water would be tastier than skimmed milk!


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## Andy HB (Mar 14, 2011)

Unicornz said:


> I agree with the cloudy water thing  Would it be disastrous in the long run if I stuck with semi-skimmed?



I use semi-skimmed and in the general scheme of things, I don't consider it to be a major issue. I've managed to lose over 50lbs since diagnosis in October 2009 on it, so it can't be that bad.

I probably average around half a pint a day (never really sat down and checked the quantity - certainly not more than a pint!).

Andy


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## lucy123 (Mar 14, 2011)

I hope I didn't make you all think semi skimmed is bad for you.
I am only drinking skimmed milk now as my consultant thinks its the right thing for me amd my own personal situation - same with decaff coffee.

I think if you have lost that much weight Andy and your figures are still good, then you can't be doing a lot wrong.

Sorry if I worried anyone.


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## Andy HB (Mar 14, 2011)

lucy123 said:


> I hope I didn't make you all think semi skimmed is bad for you.
> I am only drinking skimmed milk now as my consultant thinks its the right thing for me amd my own personal situation - same with decaff coffee.
> 
> I think if you have lost that much weight Andy and your figures are still good, then you can't be doing a lot wrong.
> ...



No worries for my part, lucy. 

I was just pointing out that, for me, semi-skimmed didn't appear to be an issue. 

But, I suppose if I could stand skimmed milk, I could cram a little more fat in from elsewhere instead!


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## AlisonM (Mar 14, 2011)

I tried skimmed milk but it's really just coloured water and that colour is green. Yeuch!! Semi-skimmed or 1%* is what I normally have as I can't stand full-fat milk either.

* Depends what they have in the shop when I go in.


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## lucy123 (Mar 14, 2011)

Andy HB said:


> No worries for my part, lucy.
> 
> I was just pointing out that, for me, semi-skimmed didn't appear to be an issue.
> 
> But, I suppose if I could stand skimmed milk, I could cram a little more fat in from elsewhere instead!


 
Like one or two almond fingers Andy


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## FM001 (Mar 14, 2011)

Once tried skimmed milk and didn't like it, I've drank semi-skimmed for years now and couldn't go back to full-fat ever.


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