Does anyone drink skim MILK - what brand are you buying?

[toronto guy]

Can you taste a difference between the popular brands - Lactantia, Natrel, Neilson, et al?

Do you have a brand preference?

Thanks in advance

TG

[atomeyes]

Personally, I prefer Natrel. I like its taste and i like its biodegradable bag.
I used to buy Organic Meadow but I don't like their lack of biodegradable bag AND the fact its not over $10/4 litres. I go through 4 litres a week, so that adds up.

Beatrice sucks.

[kaymanti]

I prefer Natrel hands down, dont buy it since my hubby came into the picture though, he drinks milk by the bucketful, and I cant afford it consumed in such volumes. :(

[kellybobo]

I like Organic Meadow, because their skim milk actually tastes more like 1%.

[Otonabee]

Harder to find, but I am a big fan of the Hewitt's Dairy. I know they sell it at the Carrot Common.

[table4onthefly]

I like the Nestle Pur Filter, but it's quite pricey at regular price. Wait for a sale and load up; the filtering process extends the lifetime of the milk, and 1% is creamier-tasting than some 2%'s that I've tried.

[Flexitarian]

I used to by Neilson, then changed to organic, then back to Neilson. I usually buy 4L in those 3 plastic bags at Costco. I read something somewhere that organic milk in Ontario isn't really any different than regular and there's no reason to buy organic, but I am not quite sure what the reasoning was. I tend to use only 1/4 cup of millk with my oatmeal and a bit in my coffee and hardly ever drink it separately so I don't really notice any taste difference between regular and organic.

[Tatai]

The main difference between organic and conventional milk is in the way the cows are treated and the requirements for fresh air. The humane treatment of animals is not a concern for most people; I'm glad I have the option to choose.

[julesrules]

I think Americans are primarily concerned about bovine growth hormone and that is not being used in Canada. It's an interesting story if you want to google or watch the move The Corporation (I think that's where I learned about it). There are other valid reasons to choose organic but BGH gets a lot of attention.

[prima]

I don't buy the Natrel or Lactancia Purfiltre- much prefer regular Neilson skim milk that isn't trying to have the mouthfeel of homogenized or 2% milk.

I've been pricechecking lately, and I'm amazed to see how much 1 l of skim varies in different parts of Toronto and other parts of ON. The Loblaw at Yonge St & Yonge Blvd was charging at least $3.49/l (last time I checked, and I'm pretty sure I've seen that store charge $3.79/l at some point), when the Shell station at Yonge & York Mills, and Shoppers Drug Marts on the Yonge Line of the TTC are usually charging $2.79-$2.89/l. Interestingly, the Pusateri's in Bayview Village was charging around $2.89/l, when the Loblaw in Bayview Village was charging at least $3.29/l.

The Oxford W Superstore in London, ON was charging $2.27/l last month, while the Masonville Loblaw and the Wonderland Rd N Metro were charging around $3.29-$3.49/l. What I found interesting in London is that the stores closest to the fairly exclusive London Hunt Club (Remark Fresh Market, Shoppers Drug Mart & the Oxford St W Superstore- always under $3/l) are charging less for their milk than the Metro (always over $3.29/l) closest to the subsidized housing happens to be charging.

I hope Metro, Loblaw and Sobeys start pricechecking to make sure they aren't charging more than Shoppers Drug Mart, gas stations and/or the upscale independent supermarkets like Remark and Pusateri's for staples like milk. If you're watching your grocery budget, and your closest grocery store happens to be a Metro, Loblaw or Sobey's, I recommend comparing the milk prices at your closest Shoppers Drug Mart or gas station.

-----
Pusateri's
1539 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5M, CA

[Jed Clampet]

All of Loblaws stuff is way, way overpriced. Great to see more FreshCo stores popping up (new store at Vic Park and Gerrard). Way better selection (and better smelling, cleaner stores) than No Frills if you want to save a few bucks.

Skim milk... I like Natrel.

[prima]

update: Loblaw at Yonge St & Yonge Blvd is now charging $2.99/ l for Neilson Skim Milk.

[ingloriouseater]

natrel

[jmarcroyal]

Whatever is the cheapest/freshest!

[tochowchick]

That`s my approach...I can`t really taste the difference and refuse to pay big bucks...

[ingloriouseater]

i never worry about the cheapest, and for freshest at look for the furthest expiry date....i still end up throwing some out as we don't drink that much at home. Natrel seems to have a long life and that is why we buy it.

[Tatai]

Harmony Organic.

[Lefty]

Try Kawartha Dairies skim milk if you can get it in your area ... I have tried them all and think it is by far the best tasting.

[hungryporker]

I will drink any of them, but when I was pregnant and had a more sensitive palette, I strongly prefered neilson. It just tasted 'cleaner'.

[jlunar]

I don't drink the milk anymore, but if it's 0%, I'm going to pick the Lactancia Purfiltre one. I've found it's creamier while still being low-fat.