Milk is a white, nutrient-rich liquid food produced in the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals (including humans who are breastfed) before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to its young and can reduce the risk of many diseases. It contains many other nutrients including protein and lactose. Interspecies consumption of milk is not uncommon, particularly among humans, many of whom consume the milk of other mammals.

Throughout the world, more than six billion people consume milk and milk products. Between 750 and 900 million people live in dairy farming households.

Milk and milk products contribute many nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D (for products fortified with vitamin D), and potassium, to the diet. Consuming milk and milk products is linked to improved bone health, especially in children and adolescents. Consuming milk and milk products may also help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and lower blood pressure in adults. 

Drinking milk may seem like the obvious use for milk, but you probably have some participants who aren’t in the habit of drinking milk. Luckily milk has many delicious uses besides just being a beverage, so we've collected tips, ideas, and recipes to help you help participants find ways to use milk in snacks and meals. Read on for more information or jump right to the recipes.

Counseling Corner

Milk is full of many nutrients including protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and is of course famous for being a source of calcium! Visit the Eye on Nutrition series to learn more about these and other nutrients and the WIC Meals of the Month series to find nutrient-specific recipes.

There are a variety of reasons participants may need substitutions for cow's milk, including dairy allergies, cultural practices, vegan diets, and more. Soy-based beverages, which may be authorized by State WIC programs, provide similar nutrients in place of cow or goat's milk for such participants.

Types of Milk

Although there are many types of milk available in the marketplace, WIC food packages include specific categories of milk which provide key nutrients important for participants.

Whole Milk: This is the standard milk in food packages for 1-year-olds (12-23 months) and is higher in fat and calories than other milk options.

Low-fat (1%) or Nonfat Milk: These are the standard milk options for children >24 months of age and women. Nonfat milk may also be called skim milk. Participants may need a friendly reminder that although there is a fat and calorie difference in these kinds of milks, the vitamin and mineral amounts don’t differ much!

Do parents need help or ideas to transition to low-fat or 1% milk? Visit Helping WIC Participants Make the Switch to Low-Fat (1%) and Fat-Free Milk for nutrition education talking points and ideas for making the switch.

Evaporated Milk: This milk is shelf stable but must be refrigerated once opened. Evaporated milk can be used as a milk substitute for participants if needed.

Dry Milk: Dry milk has had all the liquid removed and is in powdered form. This type of milk is shelf stable so may be a good alternative if refrigerator access is limited.

Soy-based Beverage: Sometimes referred to as soy milk, soy-based beverage may be substituted based on an individual nutritional assessment and consultation with the participant's health care provider, if necessary, as established by State agency policy.

Lactose-free Milk*: This milk may be an option for participants who are lactose intolerant.

Goat’s Milk*: A less common milk option is goat’s milk, which can be used for drinking, cooking, and baking, just like cow’s milk. Popular in many parts of the world, goat’s milk may be an important cultural food for some participants.

* Not all foods may be available in every State, U.S. Territory, or Indian Tribal Organization due to the flexibility they have in selecting foods for their WIC food packages.

Tips & Ideas to Share

There are many ways to enjoy milk besides as a beverage. Other ideas include blending in milk-based drinks, splashing on oatmeal, serving with WIC authorized cereal, or using in a creamy recipe!

Add milk to help complement or boost the nutrients in each meal.

• Add milk to mashed potatoes for a creamy texture.

• Use milk instead of water or juice in smoothies.

• Make overnight oats or chia seed pudding with milk.

• Thin-out creamy sauces with a bit of milk.

• Make a quiche or frittata by adding milk to the egg mixture.

• Add a splash of milk to peanut butter to make a dip for fruit.

• Cook a creamy soup by using milk instead of broth. Just be sure to simmer slowly and stir often since milk can burn and stick to the pan if left unattended!

Safe storage of conventional milk is very important and requires refrigeration. Participants can even consider freezing milk for up to 3 months for later usage.

The amount of dairy foods children need each day depends on their age and can vary between 1 2/3 to 2 cups for toddlers under 2, 2 to 2 ½ cups for children ages 2-8, and 3 cups for children and adolescents 9-18. For children under age 2 years, dairy such as yogurt and cheese, including soy-based yogurt, can be introduced starting around 6 months. However, infants should not consume cow milk, as a beverage, or fortified soy beverage, before age 12 months as a replacement for human milk or infant formula. Plain cow (whole) milk or fortified unsweetened soy beverage can be offered beginning around 12 months of age to help meet calcium, potassium, vitamin D and protein needs.

Consumption of dairy is especially critical during childhood and adolescence as the gap between current and recommended intakes of dairy foods widens. For children ages 2 through 18, nutrient-dense options within the dairy group include unsweetened fat-free and low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverages and yogurt, and low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products.

What is pasteurization, and what is pasteurized milk?

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to a high enough temperature for a long enough time to kill harmful germs. Pasteurized milk is milk that has gone through this process.

What is the history of pasteurization in the United States?

Pasteurization was invented during a time when millions of people became sick and died of tuberculosis, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, and other diseases that were spread through raw milk.

Routine pasteurization of milk began in the United States in the 1920s and became widespread by 1950 as a way to reduce contamination and reduce human illnesses. It led to dramatic reductions in the number of people getting sick. Most public health professionals and health care providers consider pasteurization to be one of public health’s most effective food safety interventions ever!

Many medical and scientific organizations recommend pasteurization for all milk consumed by humans; these organizations include CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and others.

Does pasteurization change milk’s nutritional benefits?

Most of the nutritional benefits of drinking milk are available from pasteurized milk without the risk of disease that comes with drinking raw milk.

Is it true that raw milk has more enzymes and nutrients than pasteurized milk?

Multiple studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly affect the nutritional quality of milk. Scientists do not have any evidence that shows a nutritional benefit from drinking raw milk.

Has pasteurized milk ever been linked to illnesses or outbreaks?

Pasteurized milk and products made from it have occasionally caused illnesses and outbreaks. Usually, this has happened because germs got in the milk or milk product after the milk was pasteurized.

Pasteurized milk is very unlikely to contain harmful germs if it is

• correctly handled in the dairy,
• bottled, sealed, and refrigerated after pasteurization, and
• properly handled by the consumer, including refrigerating it at 40°F or colder.

Considering the large amount of pasteurized milk that people drink, illness from it is very rare.

The dairy food group includes options for people who can’t or don’t drink milk. Individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products. For individuals who choose dairy alternatives, fortified soy beverages (commonly known as “soy milk”) and soy yogurt—which are fortified with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D—are included as part of the dairy group because they are similar to milk and yogurt based on nutrient composition and in their use in meals.  

Other products sold as “milks” but made from plants (e.g., almond, rice, coconut, oat, and hemp “milks”) may contain calcium and be consumed as a source of calcium, but they are not included as part of the dairy group because their overall nutritional content is not similar to dairy milk and fortified soy beverages. Therefore, consuming these beverages does not contribute to meeting the dairy group recommendation.
 
Calcium-fortified products such as juices, cereals, breads, tofu, almond milk, and rice milk can also be good sources of calcium. For those who totally avoid Dairy Foods, it may be difficult to meet calcium needs on a regular basis. 

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service inspects only meat, poultry and egg products. The United States Food and Drug Administration inspects other foods. Yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator (40 ºF) one to two weeks or frozen (0 ºF) for one to two months. Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta or Brie can be refrigerated one week but they don't freeze well. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening the package and three to four weeks after opening. It can also be frozen six months.

Processed cheese slices don't freeze well but can be kept in the refrigerator one to two months. Milk can be refrigerated seven days; buttermilk, about two weeks. Milk or buttermilk may be frozen for about three months. Sour cream is safe in the refrigerator about one to three weeks but doesn't freeze well.