All cow milk has roughly the same amount of calcium and protein. The difference among types of cow milk is based upon the different amounts of fat in the milk. Whole milk is milk that has nothing removed. Its fat content is about 4% of its total content. Two percent milk has roughly half as much fat as whole milk. Similarly, 1% milk has half as much fat as 2% milk. Nonfat milk has all of the fat removed and is also called skim milk, based upon the way the cream is “skimmed” off the top of the milk during production.
Children under the age of two need whole milk because the additional fat is needed for nerve and brain development. However, older children and adults do not need the additional fat and would benefit in general from fewer calories and fat. Thus it is recommended for the general population to gradually transition to 1% or nonfat milk after the age of two. While 2% milk may sound much healthier than whole milk, it still contains the same amount of fat as in about 2 slices of bacon. If your family hasn’t already made the transition, gradually begin working down towards 1% or nonfat milk. To ease the transition, you can mix two grades of milk together, such as whole and 2% milk, and slowly increase the proportion of the lesser fat milk until your family’s tastes have adapted.