Milk tablets have been all the rage among children as a snack for more than just a few years. As food processing technology has gradually advanced, reliable, major brands of milk tablets have also evolved from being overly sweet and milky to having a prominent milky flavor with a less pronounced sweetness. Looking at the ingredient list of milk tablets, it's not hard to find that the main component is milk powder. Since milk tablets are made from compressed milk powder, can eating them replace drinking milk? Is there anything improper about doing so? Are milk tablets considered a healthy snack, and can children eat them often?
I. The nutritional value of milk tablets cannot be equated with that of milk
By observing the ingredient list of milk tablets, it can be seen that the main raw material for producing them is whole milk powder. However, the nutritional value of milk tablets cannot be equated with that of milk powder, let alone fresh milk or yogurt. This is because milk tablets not only contain milk powder but also other substances such as demineralized whey powder, glucose syrup, vegetable oil, white sugar, edible flavorings, food additives, and maltose are added during production. Although these food additives have no negative impact on health, their addition will inevitably reduce the proportion of milk powder. After the content of protein and calcium decreases, the nutritional value of milk tablets cannot be compared with that of milk powder. If milk powder is compared with fresh milk and yogurt, the nutritional value of milk powder is also relatively low. This is because when fresh milk is made into milk powder, it needs to undergo a dehydration processing treatment, during which some nutrients are lost. Therefore, from a nutritional value perspective, fresh milk, yogurt > milk powder > milk tablets.
II. How much nutritional value can be obtained from eating milk tablets?
Although the nutrients obtained from eating milk tablets cannot be directly equated with those from drinking milk, it does not mean that milk tablets are completely useless. Nutrition experts believe: "One serving of milk tablets is 18 grams. If we assume 50% is whole milk powder and 50% is sugar, then it contains about 4 grams of protein, which is equivalent to the protein content of more than half a glass of milk, and the calcium content also reaches 50% of a glass of milk. Therefore, if we ignore the loss of vitamins, one serving of high-quality milk tablets can replace the nutrient content of half a glass of milk."
She also reminds that currently, there are no relevant standards for milk tablets in China, so their ingredients are very mixed. Simply put, milk tablets can be considered as 'milk powder + sugar', or with some dextrin made from starch hydrolysis added. Some products may also contain creamer, emulsifiers, flavorings, or flavor enhancers. Therefore, to buy high-quality milk tablets, one should mainly focus on the ingredient list and the nutritional information table. The higher the protein content and the fewer the added ingredients, the higher the nutritional value.
III. People with lactose intolerance will not have discomfort from eating milk tablets
Lactose intolerance means that the intestine lacks the lactase enzyme needed to break down lactose in dairy products. Lactose is not digested, causing bloating and diarrhea after drinking milk. Fan Zhihong points out that people with lactose intolerance are not absolutely unable to digest lactose; they just process it less efficiently. Milk tablets themselves contain little milk, and their lactose content is lower than that of milk powder. When eating them, if you let one tablet slowly dissolve in your mouth, digestion is slower, and the lactase in the intestine can process the lactose slowly, so as not to cause a strong adverse reaction. She especially reminds that children with chronic milk allergies cannot drink milk or eat milk tablets.
IV. What should parents pay attention to when their children eat milk tablets?
Most of the children who like to eat milk tablets are young, and parents have more or less some concerns: Is milk tablet a healthy snack? How much can a child eat? Experts believe that compared to snacks that are mainly carbohydrates, such as french fries, jelly, preserved plums, and candy, milk tablets contain a certain amount of calcium and protein. In terms of nutritional value, there is a world of difference between them and the former, making them a snack with relatively high nutritional value. However, this does not mean that children should eat them to their heart's content. Eating too many snacks will inevitably挤挤 (crowd out) part of the staple food. Moreover, milk tablets do not contain other nutrients such as vitamins and dietary fiber found in other foods. Therefore, it is best for children to eat milk tablets between meals so as not to affect the intake of staple food. If eating too much affects the child's regular meal intake, parents should reduce the amount of milk tablets their child eats.
In addition, milk tablets contain a lot of sugar, and sugar itself is a harmful healthy additive. If children often eat snacks containing a large amount of sugar, it may lead to picky eating, unbalanced diet, malnutrition, or excessive energy intake leading to obesity and even other diseases. Therefore, after children eat milk tablets, parents should supervise them to brush their teeth to prevent maltose and lactose from adhering to the teeth and causing cavities. At the same time, parents should also strictly control the amount and frequency of milk tablet intake to avoid affecting the child's healthy growth.
V. How to choose reliable milk tablets?
There are many brands and flavors of milk tablets on the market. Which one is a reliable milk tablet? Nutrition experts give four suggestions: First, try to buy milk tablets from larger, well-known brands with guaranteed hygiene and quality to avoid the health hazards of contaminants produced during the production process that are invisible to the human eye. Second, pay attention to the production date and shelf life to prevent the milk powder from oxidizing and reducing its nutritional value. Third, choose milk tablets that are well-packaged; do not choose those with damaged or air-leaking packaging. Fourth, choose milk tablets with a good flavor. Good milk tablets are not too sweet but have a rich milky aroma without any strange odors. If the milky flavor is light and the sweetness is too strong, it may mean that the proportion of milk powder raw material is low. If it feels stale, it means the quality of the milk powder raw material is poor and has oxidized and become rancid. As for whether it's apple or orange flavor, it is mainly related to the added flavorings and has little to do with nutritional quality.
Although milk tablets are a healthy snack, if you have the mindset of wanting to obtain nutrients, it is still better to choose fresh milk or yogurt. For people with lactose intolerance, they can also choose milk powder to supplement calcium and protein. It should be noted that when children treat milk tablets as a snack, their intake needs to be controlled to avoid affecting the nutritional intake of their regular meals. Afterwards, it is also important to supervise them to brush their teeth and rinse their mouth to prevent the hidden danger of cavities.