Milk substitutes like milk powder, Coffee Mate and condensed milk vary in their nutritional and calorific content.
Milk Powder
Powdered milk or dried milk is a milk product obtained by evaporating milk to dryness. This is commonly used in infant formula, confectionery such as chocolate and caramel-based products, Indian sweets, and baked goods.
Powdered milk is commercially sold in many forms such as dry whole milk, non-fat (skimmed) dry milk, dry whey powder, and other dry dairy blends. Advantages are that it doesn’t need refrigeration and can be consumed without boiling.
The vitamin and mineral content of milk powder is the same as that of regular milk. But experts advise against using milk powder in place of regular milk. That’s because powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which adds to the blood fat levels and promotes weight gain. The added sugar is another disadvantage of milk powder.
Non-fat milk powder: 36% (by weight) protein, 52% carbohydrates (lactose), 1.3% calcium, and 1.8% potassium.
Whole milk powder: 25% to 27% proteins, 36% to 38% carbohydrates, 26% to 40% fat, and 5% to 7% minerals.
Coffee mate
Coffee mate is different from dairy-based powdered milk in that it is a non-dairy creamer suitable for individuals with lactose intolerance. This contains a number of ingredients such as corn syrup solids, vegetable oil (soybean or cotton seed oil), Sodium caseinate, Di-potassium phosphate, Mono and diglycerides, Sodium aluminosilicate and artificial flavors, colors, and additives.
Calories: 30 cal per tsp of dry powder
Condensed Milk
This is made from full cream milk that has been thickened and sugared. It can last for years without refrigeration. This broadly contains about 9% milk fat, 31% milk solids and 40% sugar.
It also contains some water, protein, lactic acid, and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E &K, proteins and amino acids. But condensed milk is lower in calcium and other minerals found in fresh milk.
Calories: 62 cal per tbsp