Nutrition Guide for Milk

The billboards asking "Got Milk?" dot highways throughout the United States, all with the intention of increasing milk consumption. Drinking milk can contribute toward your health, although many of us don't get enough in our diets to offer nutritional benefits. While milk from goats and other animals are available, the most common type of milk available in grocery stores comes from cows. You may purchase it in whole milk, reduced fat and skim milk, or nonfat, varieties.

Calories

A 1 cup serving of milk ranges in calories, from 86.4 to 146.4. Whole milk contains the most calories, while skim milk contains the fewest. Be sure to account for the calories in your beverages, such as milk, when developing your meal plan. The Diet Channel notes that the ideal calories per meal ranges from 300 to 600, depending on your gender and nutritional needs.

For a balanced meal, serve a glass of milk with a lean protein, a vegetable and a healthy grain.

Fat

Skim milk, which contains only trace amounts of fat, is the drink of choice for those watching their weight -- 1 cup of whole milk contains 7.9 g of fat and reduced fat milk contains 2.9 g of fat -- however, this may not be the smartest option. Research published in the June 2005 issue of the "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine" notes that children who drank milk over a period of three years experienced weight gain, although not from fat content; rather, excess calories were to blame. Acubalance website notes that butterfat in whole milk provides compounds that aid your body to produce muscle instead of fat. Whole milk does contain a significant amount of saturated fat, though; a 1-cup serving has 4.6 g. Do not consume more than 15 g of saturated fat daily. Overeating this type of fat can increase your risk of coronary heart disease, making skim or reduced fat milk the better choice for heart health.

Protein and Carbohydrates

While all forms of milk serve as a source of protein, reduced fat milk provides the most -- a 1-cup serving contains 9.7 g. Skim milk has 8.4 g, and whole milk has 7.9 g. Your meal plan should contain 46 to 56 g of protein each day to help you build muscles, but protein serves other functions as well. It is vital to your immune system, and it also helps your body make enzymes and hormones. Both proteins and carbohydrates provide energy for your body, although carbohydrates serve as the primary source. Whole milk contains the fewest grams of carbohydrates at 11 g, but skim and reduced fat do not contain much more -- a 1-cup serving of skim milk contains 12 g of carbs and 1 cup of reduced fat milk has 13.6 g.

Vitamins and Minerals

When you think of milk, you likely think of calcium and vitamin D. The different options for milk, however, provide differing levels of these nutrients. Skim milk provides no vitamin D at all unless you seek out brands that enrich it with this vitamin. Both reduced fat and whole milk provide approximately 24 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin D per serving, though. This vitamin, along with calcium, keeps your bones strong and healthy. Whole milk has the least amount of calcium -- 22.2 percent per 1-cup serving -- although both skim and reduced fat milk are often fortified with calcium to make up for nutrients lost during the defatting process. All three varieties of milk serve as a good source of vitamin B2, phosphorus and vitamin B12.

Considerations

Whole milk is the best choice if you monitor your salt intake. One cup of whole milk contains 97.6 mg of sodium, while skim and reduced fat milk has up to 142.7 mg. The Institute of Medicine recommends limiting sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg per day; keeping your sodium intake to a minimum helps you avoid water retention, as well as elevated blood pressure. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website reports that most Americans consume far more sodium than is healthy: over 3,000 mg per day.