How much fat in 2% milk? More than you want or need.

The dairy industry has been promoting 2% milk as some sort of ‘diet’ food for years, and it irritates me that so many places - like the lodge at Mt. Rose, where I eat lunch while skiing - will only offer cartons of whole milk or 2%.

That’s a lousy choice. Here’s why:

To put it another way, what percentage of calories comes from fat in milk that is labeled 2% milk fat? The obvious answer, 2%, is very wrong.

Type of Milk	Calories from Fat
Whole or 4% Milk Fat	46%
2% Milk Fat	35%
1% Milk Fat	20%
Skim or Nonfat	0%

It is true that only 2% of the total volume of 2% milk is fat. After all, milk is mostly water. But such statements are also very clever marketing ploys as they suggest that there are very few fat calories in the product.

2% milk is a reduced fat product, not a low fat one. This means that although its total fat content is nearly 40% less than its whole milk counterpart, it still contains 5g of fat per serving (and 3g of artery-clogging saturated fat), and derives close to 35% of its calories from fat. To qualify as low fat, its total fat content must be 3g or less. It’s fine to use 2% milk temporarily, as a means to stepping down from whole milk to 1% milk or, best of all, fat free milk. But if you are serious about eating a low fat diet, 2% does not cut it.