Discovering the Benefits of Milk with Arla Organic

We love milk. Our farm used to be a dairy farm, many years ago and my husband and his family worked so hard, milking twice a day.

The dairy cows had long gone when I arrived but the family’s love of milk was infectious and both myself and the children enjoy the white stuff throughout the day.

We have recently been asked to try out Arla’s Organic range of milks and I got the full fat stuff for the kids and the farmer and semi-skimmed for myself.

I always buy Arla when I see it in the shops. Dairy farming is notoriously low paid but Arla is a farmer owned cooperative so they get the best price for their produce and their organic cows are kept in above ordinary conditions.

In the UK we have some of the highest farm welfare laws in the world so mistreatment of animals is extremely rare.

Arla work with over 11000 farmers across Europe and a massive 89 are organic farms in Britain.

All of Arla’s organic milk complies fully with controlled organic standards. Which means every inch of the farms and the feed fed to the animals is organic and, in line with consumer trends, Arla wants everyone to be able to choose organic milk if they wish.

Arla organic cows graze outdoors on grass and clover and no artificial fertilisers or herbicides are used.  Instead, they rely on crop rotation, well-timed cultivation and careful selection of crop varieties to control weeds and pests, and to maintain the fertility of the land.   
 
Their system of farming encourages wildlife by avoiding manufactured chemical sprays.  No GM animal feed is used and antibiotics are not used routinely.
 
The cows which produce Arla Organic milk are free range, meaning they are grazed outside whenever possible.  Choosing organic also guarantees additional standards of sustainability.


 
By choosing to buy organic milk you also guarantee that audited inspections are carried out and additional standards are met on animal welfare and sustainability.
 
I am always on some sort of diet but I am not into these fads of coconut water and all that muck. 

Milk is one of the most nutritious and satisfying foods you can have.

It is full of protein which keeps you fuller for longer so, rather than snack, you can often find me having a milky coffee or a simply a glass of milk to keep me going to the next meal, when I am watching my weight.

A 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk contains a whopping 31 per cent of our recommended daily calcium (needed for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth); 74 per cent of our recommended daily vitamin B12 (contributes to the normal function of the immune system); 16 per cent of our recommended daily potassium (contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure) and 14 per cent of our recommended daily protein (contributes to the maintenance and growth of muscle mass). That’s just for starters.

For a healthy, balanced diet, you really can’t go wrong with milk.

At the farm, we all start our day with porridge oats and, while the farmer and the kids prefer it warm, with milk, I find the spring and summer a little too warm for a hot cereal so I make overnight oats. I have tried many types of liquid on my oats-apple juice, water and even the dreaded coconut water but nothing makes them all plump and fluffy like milk. Breakfast is an event in our house. There’s no snacking and running.

It is a sit-down family affair and, what with the porridge, the tea on tap and my obligatory morning coffee (I cannot start the day without it), I don’t know where we would be without milk.

Scrambled eggs for lunch? You can’t scramble eggs without milk as well as another cup of tea.

Dinner times can be anything from meat and two veg (milk with the mash please) and creamy soups which would be far less creamy without the adage of some full cream milk.

Don’t forget the puddings and custard made with-you’ve guessed it, milk.

Don’t be fooled into thinking dairy is bad for you. It really isn’t. Grab a cup of the white stuff. 

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