Milk: The Mini Meal
Is milk a food or a drink? Even though it is liquid, that question is something many dairy experts still can't agree on! Milk is very nutritious - it is like a powerhouse of energy, vitamins and minerals. No other natural drink is like it. Because it's quick to drink, it makes the perfect snack on the go, at morning tea, afternoon tea, lunch or after school. In fact any time you need filling up but don't have much time! Dairy products made from milk are also nutritious for your body.
Why is milk so full of nutrients? Basically, milk is the first food a baby mammal has. . . the milk which comes after colostrum, is also rich in vitamins and minerals. It is almost a complete food. So what's in milk? Well, 87% of milk is actually water and 13% is solids. These solids are made up of: protein, fat, carbohydrate and other solids. The proportion of these vary as different feeds, breeds and seasons will affect them. Milk contains many vitamins: A (now called retinol), B (including riboflavin, niacin and thiamine), C, D, E and K, which are all essential for good health.
Milk also contains many minerals: calcium and phosphorus are two of the most important ones, but potassium,
sodium, sulphur, chlorine, iron and magnesium are others. Milk is the best source of calcium for humans. Calcium builds healthy bones and teeth, so it is very important for growing children. Calcium can help to stop your bones becoming brittle in old age, so you need to make sure you start having enough now! . . . You need about 3 serves of dairy products a day (some people need more). Milk also contains a carbohydrate (lactose) and fats. These are both sources of energy, but milk fat is a concentrated source and contains twice as much energy as carbohydrate. You use energy to do things, but children also need energy just to grow. Milk fats are very simple and easily digested. They also hold some very important vitamins (A, D, E and K).
Milk has 3 main proteins which are not found in other foods: casein, lactoglobulin and lactalbumin. . . . Proteins are made up of lots of 'building blocks' called amino acids. Humans need many types of these amino acids, but our bodies can't make them all. Milk contains all of the essential ones, so is an important source of the ones our bodies can't make. Proteins build all the growing parts of our bodies: muscles, nerves, skin and hair, so without them, your muscles wouldn't be as strong, your nerves as quick or your hair as shiny! Casein also helps to protect teeth against dental decay . . .
To get the same amount of calcium as you do from one glass of milk, you would have to eat 1 kilogram of broccoli or 18 cups of chopped spinach or 2 cups of white sesame seeds.
Milk: The Mini Meal
