In 2010 the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act lowered the fat content for school lunches and mandated all milk to be fat-free. The theory behind the legislation was a sound one.

Remove high fat and sodium foods from school lunches, provide healthier options and make sure the next generation learns to eat correctly hopefully lowering childhood obesity. The problem is that in doing so, the federal government mandated that all milk needed to be fat-free skim milk.

For years, it has been drilled in our heads that “Whole Milk makes us Fat” and that is a terrible misconception.

Recently, a 15-year observational study was published in the journal named ‘Circulation,’ which found that people who drink full-fat whole milk, eat cheese and use butter are less likely to develop diabetes. This is based on the findings that children who consumed more dairy, had a lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and trans-fats, a lower glycemic load, and consumed less red and processed meats. Further, the subject group had the same incidence of cardiovascular disease as the general population and appeared to gain less weight than their low-fat counterparts.

Quite simply, the 2010 nutritional guidelines need to be re-visited. Full-fat milk and products work on the body in two ways. On a physiological level, the fatty acids in whole milk and full-fat products help with hormone regulation, potentially causing us to store less fat and speed up our metabolism.

Children need the fat in milk for proper brain development and overall body function maintenance. When consumed in moderation and as part of the well-balanced diet, whole milk also helps control satiation. When you drink a glass of whole milk, you actually feel full or overall less hungry; thus, you eat less.

Is it healthy to go on a cheese binge and eat 4000 calories of aged cheddar? No.

Should full-fat dairy products in moderation be a part of everyone’s overall diet. Yes.

So, feel free to use half and half in your coffee and buy whole milk for your morning cereal. Use real cheese on your hamburgers and make sure your kids get two cups of milk per day… their bodies will thank you now and in the future.

By Brett Roeller
Director of National Accounts, QualiTru Sampling Systems
brett@qualitru.com   Follow Brett on LinkedIn