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r Milk, Fresh
(Goat’s milk)
See also Milk (cultured).Nutritional Profile
Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate
Protein: High
Fat: Moderate
Saturated fat: High
Cholesterol: Moderate
Carbohydrates: Moderate
Fiber: None
Sodium: Moderate
Major vitamin contribution: Vitamins A, vitamin D, B vitamins
Major mineral contribution: Calcium, iodineAbout the Nutrients in This Food
Like meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, milk is an excellent source of high-qual-
ity protein with sufficient amounts of all the essential amino acids. The
primary protein in milk is casein in the milk solids; the whey (liquid)
contains lactalbumin and lactoglobulin.
About half the calories in whole milk come from milk fat, a highly
saturated fat that is lighter than water, rises to the top, and can be
skimmed off as cream. Homogenized milk is whole milk that has been
processed through machinery that breaks its fat globules into fragments
small enough to remain suspended in the liquid rather than floating to the
top. Whole milk is high in cholesterol.
Whole milk, which get its creamy color comes from beta-carotene
and other yellow pigments in foods eaten by milk cows and goats, is a
naturally excellent source of vitamin A. Because vitamin A is fat-soluble, it
is lost when milk is skimmed. Low-fat and nonfat milks are fortified with
added vitamin A; all fresh cow’s milk sold in the United States is fortified
with vitamin D. Milk is a good source of B vitamins, including vitamin
B 6 , a “visible vitamin” whose green pigment is masked by the carotenes in
whole milk. When the fat is removed, B 6 gives skimmed milk its greenish
blue cast.* Values are for whole milk