Is Skim Milk Bad For Weight Loss?

Americans consumed over 667 million pounds of skim milk in 2010, according to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Whole milk and 1 percent milk accounted for 1.2 million pounds and 587 million pounds, respectively. Choosing the right milk to drink while losing weight can help you keep your calories in line, while providing you with needed nutrients.

Process

Skim milk must have less than .5 percent fat to earn the right for manufacturers to label it fat-free, according to a publication from Oklahoma State University. The elimination of fat in the milk makes it a lower-calorie choice when losing weight. The milk undergoes a separation process that removes the majority of the fat from the milk. All milk sold in the grocery stores in America, whether skim or whole, undergoes pasteurization by being briefly heated to kill potentially dangerous bacteria.

Calories and Nutrients

Skim milk contains 83 calories in 1 cup, while whole milk contains 149 calories. Skim milk has a trace of fat, no fiber, sucrose, fructose or glucose, but does contain 12.5 g of lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. Skim milk has 8.26 g of protein per cup, which enhances its value to weight loss, because protein helps you stay full. A single cup of skim milk gives you about 30 percent of your calcium requirement, as well as 382 mg of potassium, 103 mg of sodium and 1 g of zinc. If you purchase vitamin-fortified skim milk, the milk also contains 2.9 mcg of vitamin D, which is about 20 percent of an adult's required intake and 500 IU of vitamin A, which is 16 percent of a man's needs, and 21 percent of an adult woman's requirements.

Weight Loss Benefits

The fat-free nature of skim milk gives you the ability to leave room for healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats when keeping your fat calories to 25 percent of your dietary intake. Simply switching from drinking 1 cup of whole milk to skim milk can help you save almost 2,000 calories in 30 days, which translates to a loss of slightly more than .5 lb. When you combine the calorie reduction in milk with other lower calorie choices, you may find it easier to lose weight.

Strategies

Use just 1/2 cup of skim milk with 1/2 cup of shredded wheat cereal for a filling, 134 calorie breakfast. Drink the milk with other low-calorie breakfast entrees such as eggs, 1/2 bagel, oatmeal or whole wheat pancakes. Substitute skim milk for high-fat creamed soups in chicken or noodle casseroles, make a smoothie with skim milk, fat-free ice cream and fruit or replace high-calorie coffee creamers with skim milk.