ON THE MOVE
Milk is inspected and sampled before being pumped into insulated, stainless steel tanker trucks and shipped to a dairy processing plant.
FROM FARM TO TABLE
Everyone knows dairy milk comes from cows. But there are some important steps between the farm and your fridge. Here’s how it all happens.
ON THE FARM
You can’t have dairy milk without cows – and the healthier they are, the better. Let’s meet some!
ON YOUR TABLE
There are a lot of ways to enjoy milk and dairy products – they’re part of a healthy diet at any age.
EXPLORE ONTARIO DAIRY
Want to know more about our farmers?
QUESTIONS? WE HAVE ANSWERS
Dairy milk is milk that comes from cows. This differentiates it from milk produced by other animals, or products derived from plants (like nuts or soy).
It’s important to check the labels of the foods you’re buying for their exact nutrient content. Milk alternatives like soy and almond beverages tend to have low amounts of naturally occurring calcium and vitamin D, and are fortified as a result. The amount of fortification is not standardized, so the nutrient content may vary from product to product. For tips on how to understand nutrition facts tables, visit the Government of Canada’s understanding food labels page.
The main difference between skim, 1%, 2% and homogenized (3.25%) milk is the amount of milk fat. The following chart shows the comparative nutrient values of the various types of dairy milk.
*Retinol activity equivalent,
Source: health canada
|
Nutritional value per 250 mL |
||||
|
|
Skim |
1% |
2% |
Homogenized |
|
Energy (kCal) |
88 kCal |
108 kCal |
129 kCal |
155 kCal |
|
Total fat |
Trace |
3 g |
5 g |
8 g |
|
Saturated fat |
0.2 g |
1.6 g |
3.3 g |
5.4 g |
|
Cholesterol |
5 mg |
13 mg |
21 mg |
26 mg |
|
Sodium |
109 mg |
113 mg |
106 mg |
103 mg |
|
Carbohydrate |
13 g |
13 g |
12 g / 4% |
12 g / 4% |
|
Protein |
9 g |
9 g |
9 g |
8 g |
|
Sugars |
13 g |
13 g |
13 g |
14 g |
|
Vitamin A |
158 RAE* |
150 RAE* |
142 RAE* |
72 RAE* |
|
Calcium |
324 mg |
307 mg |
302 mg |
291 mg |
|
Iron |
0.1 mg |
0.1 mg |
0.1 mg |
0.1 mg |
|
Vitamin D |
2.7 μg |
2.6 μg |
2.8 μg |
2.7 μg |
There are many options to continue to enjoy dairy for lactose-intolerant people:
Consult a physician
Choose lactose-free dairy products
Try hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, Edam, gouda or parmesan, as they have low levels of lactose
Consume smaller amounts of dairy at more frequent intervals
Remember that butter contains low levels of lactose
Try yogurt or kefir, because the bacteria in these dairy products have been shown to be beneficial to lactose digestion