Toned Milk – Types, Nutrition, Benefits, and Recipes

Regular milk comes with all its goodness. However, it has high-fat content too. This staple dairy product is unavoidable for its calcium and nutrients. There are different types of milk available to act as alternatives to full-fat milk. Toned milk is one of them. It is a diluted version of buffalo milk. Mixing buffalo milk with skim milk or skim milk powder thins the milk significantly.

Buffalo milk has about 8% of fat and around 9% to 10% of non-fat solids. Toning reduces the fat content drastically and generates high amounts of milk.

The process of toning is native to India. This process increases milk quantity by three times. It makes milk an affordable necessity and not a luxury. It is ideal for places where the milk demand is high and supply is not adequate.

Types of Toned Milk

• Single toned milk: This type of milk is regular toned milk. It contains 3% of fat. A cup of toned milk has around 150 calories.

• Double toned milk: The same combination of buffalo milk with skim milk or water gives double toned milk. Its fat content is as low as 1.5%. A cup of double toned milk has only 114 calories. Pasteurisation is almost compulsorily done for double toned milk.

Nutritional Facts of Toned Milk

100 ml of toned milk contains:

• Calories: 58 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Fat: 4 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Sugar: 0 g

Difference Between Toned Milk and Full-Fat Milk

• Cow’s milk in its raw and unaltered form is also called full-fat milk. Whole milk is another name for it. The fat content remains as it is. It contains 3.5% of fat and an abundance of nutrients. The non-fat solids are at 9%. The creaminess due to its fat content gives a rich taste to the milk. It is completely safe for consumption since no alterations are done to it.

• Toned milk, on the other hand, is a diluted version of buffalo milk. The full-fat version of buffalo milk is not advisable for everyday use. This is mainly due to its high saturated fat content. However, it is a great option to derive ghee and paneer from.

• Diluting buffalo milk reduces the fat content and increases quantity. The fat percentage of toned milk is similar to cow’s milk at 3.5%. There is a drastic dive in fat content with respect to buffalo’s milk. There is a slight decrease in non-fat solids to 8.5%. The nutritional values of toned milk remain intact. Therefore, it is not as creamy as whole milk.

Health Benefits of Toned Milk

1. Helps with weight loss

Those trying to lose weight generally prefer low-calorie foods. Toned milk is an excellent alternative to regular milk in such cases. It is low in calories and contains all the nutrients. Substituting full-fat milk with toned milk, in daily items like porridge, cereals, tea and homemade milk-based sweets is a good way to reduce the total number of calories one consumes.

2. Promotes easy digestion

Babies and adults who are mildly lactose intolerant can try switching to toned milk. Toned milk is easier to digest than whole milk. The whey protein content present in the toned milk makes it simpler to digest. It is safe to say that consuming toned milk will not lead to bloating or digestive issues concerning babies.

3. Reduces high blood pressure

Those who suffer from high blood pressure can drink toned milk every day. Furthermore, it is clinically proven that toned milk consumption can play a role in reducing blood pressure and hypertension. One of the reasons is the whey protein present in toned milk. It inhibits an enzyme that leads to the contraction of blood vessels. Moreover, the low-fat content also keeps a check on cholesterol levels.

4. Protects bones

Toned milk is rich in nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. The calcium strengthens the bones and prevents them from fracturing. It also prevents osteoporosis. Osteoporosis leads to the breaking of bones due to its demineralisation and weakening. Vitamin D content helps to absorb calcium efficiently in the body.

5. Strengthens teeth

The calcium in the toned milk strengthens the tooth enamel and provides a shine to it. Therefore, regular consumption of toned milk can prevent the demineralisation of the enamels.

6. Contains antioxidants

Toned milk contains a type of amino acid by the name casein. Casein has antioxidant properties. From improving heart health to fighting diabetes, the benefits of antioxidants are endless.

7. Controls hunger

A glass of toned milk keeps you full for a long time. It contains fewer calories and dense nutrients compared to regular snacking options. On the whole that makes it an optimal choice to curb untimely hunger pangs. It is particularly good for children and young adults who are always on the go. Toned milk works as a quick energy booster.

8. Promotes better sleep

The tryptophan in the toned milk is an amino acid that helps you to sleep better. Drinking a glass of toned milk may get you a good night’s rest.

Why Should You Switch from Full Fat Milk to Toned Milk?

Toned milk can be a great alternative to full-fat milk in some ways.

• The main reason why toned milk is recommended is due to its low fat percentage. Switching to toned milk from regular milk decreases the overall fat percentage in a serving of milk. Hence, switching to toned milk helps you to lose weight while you can still enjoy the wholesome goodness of milk.

• Additionally, toned milk has all the important nutrients that your body requires. Full fat milk and toned milk have almost the same nutrient values. Though the full cream and fat are removed, toned milk continues to nourish your body in the same efficient manner.

• With lower fat come lower calories. Toned milk is ideal for those on a low-calorie diet. A glass of toned milk has almost half the calories of regular milk. It keeps you full and takes away fewer calories from your daily intake.

Recipe Using Toned Milk

Toned milk can be an alternative to regular milk in almost all recipes that require it. Keep in mind that toned milk is less creamy than regular milk.

Low Fat Carrot Halwa:

Ingredients:

• Thickly grated carrot – 2 cups 
• Home made Ghee – 1 tsp 
• Toned Milk – 1 cup
• De-seeded dates – 1/4 cup 
• Cardamom (Elaichi) powder – 1/4 tsp 

Method:

1. Saute the grated carrots and ghee for 5 minutes in a pan.
2. Add 3/4th cup of milk and the 1/4th cup of deseeded dates to the carrots and ghee and mix well.
3. Pressure cook the above mix for 2 whistles.
4. Add the remaining 1/4th cup of toned milk and Cardamom Powder, mix well
5. Cook on medium flame for 4 minutes while stirring continuously.
6. Serve the Low-Fat Carrot Halwa hot.

Summary

To summarize, toned milk is a low-fat option. The process of toning milk was developed in India. Diluting full fat buffalo milk or a combination of buffalo and cow’s milk gives toned milk. Adding skim milk or skim milk powder and water helps in diluting full-fat milk.

Toned milk has about 3.5% fat. The best part is that all the nutrients available in regular milk remain intact in the toned milk as well.

Toning milk increases its quantity and reduces its price. Hence, it becomes a cost-effective option for many. The main advantages are its low-fat percentage, low calories and rich nutrients. It makes it a better alternative to full-fat milk. Moreover, the high whey protein content in the toned milk is beneficial for health.

Thus, switching to toned milk can aid in weight loss and better digestion. The calcium content is the same as any other milk. Unless you are lactose intolerant, toned milk is a great addition to your daily quota of dairy products.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Can toned milk help in weight loss?

A. Yes, it absolutely can! A single glass of toned milk contains only 80 calories, as opposed to almost 160 calories in a glass of full cream milk. It is also lower in overall fat content than normal milk. So, if you want to lose those inches you can definitely opt for toned milk. It’ll fill your tummy without increasing your paunch!

Q. Can babies have toned milk?

A. It is very important for babies to get food items with high nutritional value. Hence, it is better to avoid giving toned milk to babies. The high fat and protein content present in full-fat milk is not there in the toned milk. These nutrients are very important for their growth, especially in their infant years.

Q. Is toned milk from tetra packs safe to consume?

A. Yes. It is safe to consume milk from tetra packs. This is primarily because of the packaging process of tetra packs. These miniature cartons contain milk that is heated to a very high degree, cooled and then packaged into tetra packs in a highly sterile environment with almost no human touch. 

Q. Can we make toned milk at home?

A. Toned milk can be made at home. It is a fairly simple process. All one needs to do is boil normal cow’s milk for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool outside for approximately 3 hours. Put the milk into the fridge for at least 10 hours or overnight. Once that is done, you will see a cream line. Just scoop the cream out from above this line and the residual milk left is your toned milk.

Q. Can toned milk be had raw?

A. The toned milk that we get in packets and tetra packs is already pasteurized which means it is free of any harmful bacteria. Some even argue that extra boiling diminishes their nutritive value. Thus it is definitively safe to consume such milk without boiling. Just make sure to store the milk in a place with a temperature less than 4 degrees.