Canadian Milk vs American Milk

[misslissa]

Ok, I know this will sound a little nutso to some of you, but Canadian milk is labeled differently than American milk. In the US, I LOVE drinking the Vitamin D milk or whole milk 'cause it is much more creamy than our milk. But, I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for...

Now I am traveling to WDW with my 1 1/2 yr old for the first time and he drinks quite a bit of what is known here as Homogenized Milk. That is 3.25%. This is recommended over skim, 1 or 2% milk that we usually drink here.

Does anyone know what is comparable in the US? I am staying at POR and will be taking a cruise afterwards. Also, are there brands that are guaranteed not to be GMO? What is the percentage of Vitamin D or whole milk?

I don't mean to sound like an over-analyzer but he is still just a little guy and I want to abide by Dr's orders as much as possible. Thanks.

 

[prairiesarah]

I don't have a complete answer for you but I would say that you should carefully read the labels on the milk and look for something that is organic and BHG free. I am pretty sure that I saw some labels that advertised that when we have bought milk in the US previously. My DH is a dairy farmer here in Canada and I know we have much more stringent rules about what is allowed in milk. Canadian milk is tested stringently (ie, two samples are taken from it before it even leaves our farm) to be sure that there are no drugs, growth hormones etc. From what I understand of dairy farming in the US, is that there really aren't any country wide rules and testing etc and that milk can have growth hormones in it and be shipped. I could be completely wrong on that, but that is my understanding at least.

 

[lanejudy]

Most commercial milk in the US is pasteurized, homogenized and contains both vitamins D and A. It comes as "whole" milk, 2% milkfat, 1% milkfat, or skim or fat-free (same thing). My DD's pediatrcian recommends 1% or 2% - after drinking these the whole milk does seem almost like cream! Not sure how old your little guy is, but I believe whole milk is recommended for 1-year-olds as they still need the milkfat to help with brain development.

Generally brands will vary by region so the non-GMO here won't be the same as in FL, but just read the label and it will indicate.

Enjoy your vacation - both land and sea!

 

[Luvamouse]

Whole milk in the US should be 4% butterfat, although there is often a bit of variation from dairy to dairy. In grocery stores it is easy to find whole milk, but often in vending/school/food court situations, you will only find 1% or skim in my experience. I have no experience with whole milk at WDW, perhaps someone else with a young child would know?

As far as non-GMO brands, there is a lot of regional variation in brands. I'd go with the labeling. They may say organic or hormone free/non-rbGH or non-rBST, that is how you will know what they DON'T have in them. Stoneyfield Farm and Organic Valley are 2 organic, hormone free brands here in the north east, but I don't know how widely they are marketed. Not sure how much Vitamin D goes in it as a rule.

Hope this helps you a bit and have fun!

 

[misslissa]

Awesome advice! That is exactly what I was looking for. Now maybe someone call fill me in on what is available at the parks, resorts and onboard the cruise?!

 

[bumbershoot]

Also, are there brands that are guaranteed not to be GMO?

Best of luck with that! I would definitely get a car and head to Whole Foods for the BEST chance at getting milk like that. Even Horizon brand was against GMO labelling in a recent California election, and they are an organic, I-thought-they-were-good, brand. But apparently they are owned by a conglomerate, and those groups don't like having to label things properly so people know what they are consuming.


I assume you would want whole milk. Other than that I have no idea about the cow-milk-for-kids thing. Just didn't do that with DS.