There was a day and age where the only way milk made it from the farm to the kitchen table was because your friendly milk man dropped it off in a petite metal bin each morning. In today’s world, milk delivery is often more a luxury than a necessity, but for a busy household you’d be surprised how much you can gain from starting your day with fresh milk delivered directly to your door.
Today we’ll discover 4 great reasons why you should have your milk delivered!
The benefits of drinking milk are widely known, ranging from increased calcium to lowered cholesterol. Simply put, drinking more milk will have a positive impact on the health of your family.
The Facts:
- Average price for a gallon of milk is $3.64
- Recommended best by date is usually 5-7 days from opening
- USDA reports that the average child under 11 years old drinks approximately 1.5 cups of milk a day
For a family who drinks a lot of milk, it’s easy to go through a gallon or more per week. Furthermore, families with children are more likely to consume heavy amounts of milk, although children seem to be drinking less milk (down nearly half a cup) than they were in the 1970’s. There have been no direct studies completed to determine the reason behind lower milk consumption, but it’s likely that the increase in soft drinks and juices have played a significant role in this cultural shift.
Most communities have at least one (if not more) option for home milk delivery, and the benefits for receiving direct to your door milk are abundant. Let’s take a look at those benefits.
1. Delivered milk lasts longer
Milk at the local grocery store has spent several days processing, a few more days in transit to the store and at least a day on the shelf before it makes its way to your refrigerator. In addition to the extra travel time, most store brand milk has been pasteurized at a high temperature to remove bacteria from cattle who may not have been raised in the healthiest conditions. Dairy cows are often impacted by mastitis, otherwise known as infected udders. After milking, the milk is tested for the bacteria left by mastitis. Higher bacteria counts are considered lower quality milk. The end result of this process is high temperature pasteurization lowering the overall shelf life. The combination of these factors is often why store brand milk expires just a few days after purchase.
Milk delivery lowers and in some cases eliminates many of the reasons store brand milk expires quickly. Milk comes directly from the dairy farm to your home, lowering the travel time and adding weeks to your expiration date.
Local dairies typically have higher standards for the health of their herds, lowering the likelihood of bacteria making its way into the milk, decreasing any chance of antibiotic transfer and dropping the heat of the temperature needed to make the milk healthy and clean before it arrives on your doorstep.
Most direct delivery milk services provide milk with an expiration date of 1 to 2 weeks.
2. Fresh milk tastes better
If you were to complete a blind taste test of a local dairy delivered milk and store brand milk, it is highly likely that you would select the dairy milk as the better tasting product. When encouraging picky eaters to drink milk over sugary soft drinks, flavor is KEY to convincing them to make the right choice.
Fresh milk has a sweeter, more creamy and rich taste.
3. Strict health and hormone policies
Most locally owned dairies have specific policies surrounding the quality of the milk they provide, and often do not sell milk that has been treated with bovine growth hormone (rBHG or rBST).
Royal Crest Dairy in Colorado states the following: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994 approved the use of the rBGH or rBST – the bovine growth hormone – for use on dairy cows. At the time, Royal Crest Dairy made the decision to provide milk from cows not treated with rBGH. Royal Crest’s policy has been consistent over the years: We pay our farmers a premium to ensure that our customers have milk from cows not treated with the bovine growth hormone. Overwhelmingly, surveys show our customers support this policy. We pledge to maintain this commitment to the highest standards in our business.”
Small and locally owned businesses and farmers offer a higher commitment to the health of their herds which is ultimately passed along to their customers. Shopping locally by subscribing to milk delivery helps support a healthy dairy industry. When looking for a milk delivery service, ask what types of health guarantees they can make about the livestock your milk is coming from.
4. Milk delivery saves you time
Often milk delivery services can provide more than just milk. When taking care of a busy household, the convenience of having your grocery necessities dropped off before you start the day is immeasurable. Many services also offer staple items like eggs, yogurt and bread in addition to your weekly milk delivery. When you add up the time and gas spent traveling to and from the store several times per week, milk delivery may save you valuable time that you can add back into your day.
Is milk delivery more expensive?
Each dairy prices their products and services independently. If you are lucky enough to have multiple options in your area, check the prices to see which service will best suit your family’s needs and budget. Most milk delivery options are comparable to a local grocery store, but you may find yourself paying a small convenience fee for other items like eggs and bread.
If you want to try milk delivery for yourself, you can locate a dairy in your area at Find Me a Milkman.
Photo Credits: Benjamin Horn, Cindy Haley, Pluentje
