Do you drink a glass of milk every day without thinking about what you\u2019re putting in your body? Many choose to buy low-fat milk or what they find tasty at the grocery store without any deeper thought.<\/p>\n
Being more informed about milk can make a daily carb count\u00a0and diet plan more manageable. Our guide covers the nutrients and carbs in the average glass of milk, along with milk alternatives.<\/p>\n
The average cup of milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates<\/a>, which holds regardless of fat content. A glass of whole milk and a glass of nonfat milk both contain 12 grams of carbs. A cup of whole milk also has 8 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.<\/p>\n A glass of milk also contains around 310 to 320 milligrams of calcium and 100 to 110 units of Vitamin D. Some milk producers may also fortify it with other vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, zinc, iron, and folic acid.<\/p>\n You need calcium<\/a>\u00a0for more than just healthy bones and teeth. Your body also requires calcium to move your muscles, carry messages from your brain throughout your body, and release hormones and enzymes. Most adults need around 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.<\/p>\n Vitamin D<\/a>\u00a0promotes calcium absorption and bone growth and aids the body in other vital tasks. Most adults need 600 units of Vitamin D for a healthy body.<\/p>\n The recommended three cups of milk daily aren\u2019t sufficient to meet your Vitamin D requirements, so make sure you\u2019re ingesting enough from other foods. Read a product\u2019s nutrition fact labels\u00a0for its Daily Value\u00a0percentages.<\/p>\n Any quantity of milk is about 87 percent water<\/a>. Drinking milk is an excellent way to meet your daily water needs, however, you shouldn\u2019t rely on milk solely for your water intake.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to drink milk to experience its benefits. Milk products such as<\/a>\u00a0yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese are good sources of calcium, protein, and other nutrients. While Americans are currently drinking less milk, they\u2019re also consuming more cheese and yogurt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Next time you\u2019re in the grocery store browsing yogurts, check your usual choice’s sugar content. \u00a0We recommend plain varieties with little to no added sugar. If plain yogurt is unappealing, pick up some fresh fruit to mix in for a healthy snack at work\u00a0or home.<\/p>\n Ice cream is okay<\/a>\u00a0as an occasional treat, but don\u2019t make it part of your daily diet. Ice creams contain a mix<\/a>\u00a0of milk fat, milk proteins, sugars, and added goodies like fruit chunks, nuts, syrups, cookie pieces, and candies. Low-fat ice creams may include more sugar to compensate for taste.<\/p>\n Dairy-free frozen treats aren\u2019t necessarily healthier. Many contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and sodium.<\/p>\n When you choose to indulge, make sure you check the serving size first. A bowl of ice cream can contain two or three servings if you\u2019re not careful. Avoid overloading your sundae with sugary\u00a0sprinkles and syrups.<\/p>\n What is a keto diet? A ketogenic diet<\/a>\u00a0is a low-carb diet designed for short-term weight loss. Participants make up for the reduced carbohydrate intake by ingesting more protein and fats.<\/p>\n When your body lacks the carbohydrates needed for energy, it breaks down proteins and fats for energy instead. This process is known as ketosis.<\/p>\n Can you drink milk on a keto diet? It\u2019s usually not recommended since milk contains more carbohydrates than fats or proteins. However, you can try other dairy foods such as cheese and unsweetened yogurt. Consider carefully incorporating foods like butter and heavy cream into your diet since they are made of mostly fats with vitamin A and calcium.<\/p>\n Harvard suggests<\/a>\u00a0dieting is more about the quality of carbs you ingest than the quantity. The American Heart Association agrees<\/a>, noting \u201cnot all carbs are created equal.\u201d Sugars, starches, and fibers all qualify as carbohydrates.<\/p>\n Not all sugars are the same, either. Too many \u201csimple sugars\u201d are associated with coronary heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver. While you should avoid too much refined, white sugar, the natural sugars found in milk and fruit contain other nutrients that your body needs.<\/p>\n The American Heart Association recommends you consume carbohydrates and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible. For example, eat a piece of fruit instead of a fruit-flavored soda. Have whole-grain toast instead of processed white bread.<\/p>\n A quick reminder: always speak with your healthcare practitioner before you make any dietary changes.<\/p>\n Milk consumption has\u00a0declined over the past years<\/a>. The change is likely in part because plant-based milk is on the rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n People with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy can consume products such as soy or almond milk to fulfill their nutritional needs. Others choose to drink plant-based milks to be \u201cgreener\u201d consumers.\u00a0It takes less land and water<\/a>\u00a0to produce plant-based milk than cow\u2019s milk, and the process emits fewer greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n Milk substitutes can be an excellent way to cut back on carbs. Here\u2019s the carb, fat, and protein makeup of popular alternatives:<\/p>\n We do not recommend regularly consuming coconut milk. It\u2019s a high-fat drink relatively low in calcium and lacks protein.<\/p>\n Oat milk may not be a good option for anyone on a low-carb diet. However, many love oat milk for its slightly sweet taste that mimics regular milk.<\/p>\n Still, if you can safely drink cow\u2019s milk, you may not want to quit doing so. \u201cCow’s milk has higher protein content and quality compared with most of these products,\u201d a 2017 study on dairy and nondairy<\/a>\u00a0beverages noted.<\/p>\n You also want to avoid drinking sweetened plant milk if you can. Vanilla and chocolate milk contain a high percentage of added sugars, and even plain, \u201cunflavored\u201d varieties may contain extra sugar for a better taste.<\/p>\n You might not love a cup of unsweetened almond milk at first, but the taste may eventually grow on you. You also don\u2019t have to mix in a sugary syrup to improve the milk\u2019s flavor. Instead, add fruit and whey protein\u00a0powder to make a shake. Some people find a\u00a0protein shake before bed\u00a0helps them reach peak performance.<\/p>\n Many people drink a cup of warm milk before bed\u00a0to help themselves fall asleep. Milk does contain nutrients associated with sleep, but scientists say it\u2019s insufficient to make you nod off. The more likely explanation is that some people associate warm milk with falling asleep.<\/p>\n We develop sleep schedules\u00a0partly through bedtime routines. Some people take warm baths to relax, while others might unwind with a chapter or two in a book. If your nightly routine includes drinking a glass of warm milk, your mind may see it as a bedtime cue.<\/p>\n If you find plain milk unappealing as a bedtime drink, try sweetening it with a little honey, as per a 2018 study<\/a>\u00a0that observed hospitalized coronary care patients. One group of patients received milk with honey twice a day for three days, while a control group did not. The milk-and-honey group reported higher sleep scores than the control group.<\/p>\n Researchers have linked low levels of calcium<\/a>\u00a0to a greater difficulty falling asleep and reduced restorative sleep. While you don\u2019t need to drink milk before bed to sleep well, it\u2019s important to make sure you are meeting your daily calcium requirements.<\/p>\n If you experience frequent bouts of\u00a0insomnia, speak with your doctor about possible treatment plans.<\/p>\n Milk can be a nutritious addition to any diet. With so many different types of milk on the market, there is something for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “If you\u2019re choosing to drink cow milk, make sure you\u2019re picking organic and\/or local. Cow milk (and beef) has a ton of additives, hormones, and antibiotics in it that can have serious effects on your digestive and hormonal health,” says Brittany Ford, RHN. “It can cause a lot of inflammation to a lot of people. Choosing organic ensures there are fewer additives, hormones, and antibiotics used.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, even choosing organic cow milk does not change what is fed to the cows. Cows often eat plenty of GMO grains and processed proteins, like soy. This means if you are sensitive to grains and\/or gluten, your cow milk could be a source of these inflammatory compounds without you realizing it. As the saying goes, \u201cYou are what you eat, eats\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To avoid this, pick grass-fed organic cow milk. This can be harder to find or more expensive but allows the cow to graze on a variety of grasses, without grains, which they\u2019re naturally meant to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If choosing plant-based milk, ensure to pick organic as well. Almonds are heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and are mass-produced for milk now. Choosing different nut milk like cashew or walnut can be a healthier option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Brittany Ford also adds, “Regardless of what plant-based milk you choose, making milk at home is 100% the healthiest option. This is a lot easier nowadays than previously, with small appliances you can buy that do it for you rather than having to strain the milk through a cloth. Homemade milk tastes a lot better too, and is much more nutrient-dense!”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n[faq_cooper]\n The U.S. Department\u00a0of Agriculture recommends three cups of milk<\/a> each day for everyone over the age of 9, and you can meet that requirement in various ways. Many people drink a glass of milk with lunch and dinner, while others might snack on yogurt and cheese. Understanding the nutrients present in milk, milk products, and dairy alternatives make constructing a healthy diet plan easier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you drink a glass of milk every day without thinking about what you\u2019re putting in your body? Many choose to buy low-fat milk or what they find tasty at the grocery store without any deeper thought. Being more informed about milk can make a daily carb count\u00a0and diet plan more manageable. Our guide covers … Continue reading “Carbs in Milk and Nutrition Facts”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":14610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[129],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthybeat.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Other Dairy Products<\/h2>\n
Milk and the Keto Diet<\/h2>\n
Milk Substitutes<\/h2>\n
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Milk and Sleep<\/h2>\n
Choosing Healthy Milk Options<\/h2>\n
Did We Help?<\/h2>\n