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Health & Wellness

Milk for Everyone!

Next time you visit United Supermarkets, Market Street or Amigos United, take a look at all the varieties of milk. In the refrigerated section you can buy fat-free (skim), 1%, 2%, whole, chocolate, buttermilk, soy, organic, lactose free and goat milks. Then stop over at the shelf stable milks and you'll find hazelnut, oat, almond, rice and more. There's a milk for vegetarians and vegans, organics, lactose intolerant, and the adventurous.  It can be overwhelming and exciting all at the same time.

Currently the USDA recommends that adults get 3 servings of dairy per day and kids get 2 servings of dairy per day. There are several different ways that you can squeeze milk into your daily diet to get the minimum amount needed. Use milk to make oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, soups, wet your breakfast cereal, or soak it up into a cookie or two are some good ideas. It can be used to make puddings or blended with fruit for a delicious smoothie.

Often we get the question "what's the difference in all the milks?" We've provided this table to help!

Type of
Milk		 NuVal™ Score Calories Fat,
g		 Calcium,
mg		 What's the story?
Whole 52 150 8 ~300 Whole milk is milk that has not had any of the fat removed. This is beneficial for infants under 12 months who are not being breastfed.
2% 55 120 5 ~300 2% of its total content is fat (whole is almost 4%).
1% 81 100 2.5 ~300 This milk is considered a low fat option along with fat-free milk. 1% of its total content is fat.
Fat-free 91 80 0 ~300 Fat-free milk has had all of the fat removed but still contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and protein as its higher fat counterparts. It is considered the best cow's milk option for anyone 1 year or older
1% Chocolate 29 150 2.5 ~300 This is a low fat flavored option. This is helpful for kids or picky eaters who do not like plain milk, but has a lower NuVal™ score due to higher sugar content.
1% Strawberry 27 180 2.5 ~300 This is another low-fat flavored option, but usually with a lower NuVal™ score due to increased sugar.
Rice, un-sweetened 82 115 2 ~300 This is a good option for those with lactose intolerance. This can be used in many recipes in place of cow's milk. Rice milk does not include all of the same vitamins and minerals as cow's milk but can be fortified.

Our store guests often question us about the best drinks for athletes. Congrats, you've found one of the most natural, inexpensive post-workout tricks in the book. Low-fat (1%) milk has a large amount of protein to help in muscle rebuilding after anaerobic exercise and also has carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals essential for the body after strenuous sweat sessions. Even better, adding some flavor in the form of chocolate milk contributes additional easily-digested sugar and fat for the body to metabolize quickly, decreasing recovery time. However, it is important to note that recovery drinks are only necessary in high-intensity workouts, otherwise you could be adding unnecessary and unused calories to your diet.

NuVal™ Ranges and median scores

Milk in general ranges from 3 to 100 with the median score being 55. Remember, the median score is the middle score within a range of scores. In other words, 50 percent of scores fall above and 50 percent of scores fall below the median score. With half of all scores falling above 62, you're sure to find a milk you'll love. Remember, the higher the score, the better the nutrition.

What raises or lowers milk scores?

With all these varieties of milk, what makes one score higher than the other? Scores in the milk category are driven by the amount of sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin A. Higher fat milks that are flavored have lower scores. To put this in perspective, one cup (8 oz) of Chug chocolate milk contains 51 grams of added sugar. This means that one cup of Chug has almost 13 teaspoons (over ¼ cup) of sugar added to it, more than found in the same amount of regular soda or half cup of premium flavored ice cream!

Let's Practice!

Which product has the highest score? After you decide, click on the items to see scores.

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We encourage you to go to www.unitedtexas.com/nuval to learn more.

Health & Wellness
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