Are Evaporated Milk and Condensed Milk Healthy?

We all know that full milk is good for you because of the loads of nutrients in it. For people who are watching their fat and caloric intake, there are skim, low-fat and non-fat varieties on the market.

So what about evaporated milk and condensed milk? Aside from for cooking creamy dishes and whipping up scrumptious desserts respectively, can they be consumed as regular milk? And are they just as nutritious as full milk? Read on if you want to know the answers to these questions and more.

Water Out of the Picture

Just like what the name says, evaporated milk is full milk with its water removed through evaporation — about 60 percent of full milk’s water content is eliminated. It’s for this reason why evaporated milk is just a tad thicker than full milk. Evaporated milk also has a slight caramelized color and flavor to it due to the heating process.

Since water is devoid of any nutrient, removing it from full milk does not diminish its nutritional profile. So in other words, evaporated milk still provides all of the benefits that full milk offers!

In fact, you can consider evaporated milk as something that’s more nutrient dense than full milk. Why? That’s because the government requires evaporated milk manufacturers to fortify their goods with vitamin D, which is good for the bones and mood. Some choices even contain added vitamin A and/or vitamin C to them.

The Deal with Condensed Milk

About 60 percent of water in full milk is removed when making condensed milk, just like when making evaporated milk. So why is condensed milk so much thicker than evaporated milk?

The simple answer to that is this: before the process of evaporation, lots sugar is added to full milk. When the desired amount of water is gone, added sugar remains, causing the characteristic consistency of condensed milk. Needless to say, the nutritional profile of condensed milk is similar to that of evaporated milk, and evaporated milk’s nutritional profile is similar to that of full milk. In other words, all of them are equally nutritious.

Additionally, manufacturers of condensed milk add vitamin D to their commodities. And just like evaporated milk, some of them are even fortified with vitamin A and/or vitamin C.

All Down to the Downsides

Clearly, the downside to the consumption of condensed milk is the fact that it’s loaded with sugar, making it a really bad milk choice for individuals who are trying to lose excess pounds or stay within their ideal weight. However, it cannot be denied that condensed milk is superb for making desserts. Some also love it as coffee creamer.

Even though evaporated milk is just as nutritious as full milk, it has a slightly different consistency, color and taste to it. Actually, adding water to it practically yields full milk.

 

 

Sources: epicurious.com

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