Nutrition

Does skimmed milk have less protein?

I drink skimmed milk. Am I missing out on vital protein that’s in the full-fat stuff?
R Foley, by email

No. In fact skimmed milk contains marginally more protein than whole milk, 20g per pint compared with 19g in a pint of whole milk. The same applies to calcium (which builds strong bones) and most of the other vitamins and minerals found in milk, such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Removing the fat affects only the levels of fat-soluble vitamins, in particular vitamin A, which boosts eye health. A pint of whole milk contains 325 micrograms of vitamin A, whereas a pint of skimmed milk contains only six micrograms – but there are plenty of other good sources of vitamin A in the diet, so changing to a lower-fat milk is unlikely to affect overall vitamin A intake. But it will definitely help decrease your intake of saturated fat.