# Powdered Milk - which brand?



## mzgarden

We've always had store bought milk in the house for DH and I used it for baking, cooking, etc. (no dairy animals yet). DH no longer drinks milk and I never did, so I'm switching to powdered to have on hand. Having little to no experience with powdered milk, could anyone share with me your preferred brand? I'd rather have something without soy and We will likely not be drinking it, but we will use it as an ingredient.

Thanks


----------



## suzyhomemaker09

Since no one has answered yet i'd hazard that we are all of the opinion that one is just as good as another...
As far as I know powdered milk made for human consumption does not contain any soy at all...only that dried product that is made as a milk replacer for livestock.


----------



## Rockytopsis

As someone who keeps powdered milk in the house, my suggestion is get any Name Brand as store brand just does not taste the same.
Nancy


----------



## TenBusyBees

I've always used Sanalac. I prefer a canister over a box.


----------



## mzgarden

thank you all. Appreciate the input.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Hi, I just happened to see the title on the main board, don't usually post in here, hope that's okay. If you're wanting non-fat powdered milk, most brands are pretty much the same.

However, if you're wanting full-fat dried milk that tastes the most like fresh, I recommend Nido. It can be found easily at Walmart in cans of approximately 18 ounces, with a resealable lid. It stays good on the shelf with no special treatment for well over a year. Since I discovered it about 7 years ago, I don't buy anything else.

If it's not in the regular dried milk section, check the Spanish section. There's also a Nido formula substitute (has a baby's picture on the front) which has other additives in it, so make sure you get the plain milk. There are a bunch of people on HT who use it also, you can do a search for past discussions. Hope this helps.


----------



## Belfrybat

I like Sanalac, but it's hard to find except in the individual pouches and it's skim. My absolute favourite for taste is Nido as it is whole milk and after it chills really does taste good, even straight. Just be careful to not buy the Nido Kinder which is sugared. Regular Nido also now comes in a smaller cannister and is available at Walmart around here. If you don't use it a lot, that might be a better deal for you even though it is more expensive per serving. 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nido-Instant-Dry-Whole-Milk-3.52-Lb/14869811


----------



## mzgarden

Thank you. I've never heard of Nido but I'll be checking it out. Since I intend to use it as an ingredient, it's probably not an issue if it's a little more expensive per serving. Thanks


----------



## netskyblue

Nido is what I use, as well. Mostly as a creamer in my coffee, but I'll use it in recipes when I am out of milk.


----------



## PlicketyCat

Nido is one of the best powdered milks for drinking or cereal. For cooking and baking NF dry milk is fine (our Sam's Club normally carries Carnation or Parmalat), but it doesn't quite taste right plain without a little bit of butter fat. Just keep in mind that powdered whole milk has a shorter shelf life (6-12 months) due to the fat content.

Meyenberg makes a powdered whole goat's milk that is pretty tasty and is easier on sensitive stomachs.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Hey PC, good to see you! I never even thought about powdered goat mik, thanks! I may try some of that.


----------



## elkhound

nido all the way...just seen this.


----------



## Maggie

The NIDO I have bought has soy lecithin in it


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Maggie said:


> The NIDO I have bought has soy lecithin in it


Argh, you're right! It didn't used to have it. I just bought a brand new can and went and looked at it, and it's the second ingredient! I can't have soy, so I guess now I can't have Nido. I'll definitely be emailing them, but it probably won't make any difference. Why can't they just leave the food alone?!? :hair:


----------



## mzgarden

I have also sent Nestle Global a question about an alternate that does not contain Soy of any kind. If they answer, I'll share here.


----------



## homstdr74

We use the brand that Aldi sells. The Aldi stores are mainly in the Midwest and east, but they are expanding to California. The dry milk product is just as good as Carnation and a whole lot cheaper. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Thanks MZG, I too will post back here if I get any response.

Homstdr74, both of those milks are good, for what they are, NONFAT dried milk (in other words skim milk). However, Nido is (or used to be) dried WHOLE milk, big difference in the two. 

I am really upset about this, as Nido is the only whole milk I've found that was worth a darn. Guess I'll definitely be checking out PlicketyCat's whole goat milk, lol.

Well, the goat's milk ingredients are: Goat milk, vitamin D3, folic acid. It's a little more expensive than Nido, but at least it's an alternative if Nestle won't do something about the soy in Nido. I just wonder how the taste compares, can anyone tell me? I've never actually had goat's milk, but I'm certainly willing to try it.


----------



## homstdr74

calliemoonbeam said:


> Thanks MZG, I too will post back here if I get any response.
> 
> Homstdr74, both of those milks are good, for what they are, NONFAT dried milk (in other words skim milk). However, Nido is (or used to be) dried WHOLE milk, big difference in the two.
> 
> I am really upset about this, as Nido is the only whole milk I've found that was worth a darn. Guess I'll definitely be checking out PlicketyCat's whole goat milk, lol.
> 
> Well, the goat's milk ingredients are: Goat milk, vitamin D3, folic acid. It's a little more expensive than Nido, but at least it's an alternative if Nestle won't do something about the soy in Nido. I just wonder how the taste compares, can anyone tell me? I've never actually had goat's milk, but I'm certainly willing to try it.


Yes, but we not only use the powdered skim milk but store it for possible SHTF times. I have read that whole powdered milk does not store as well or as long as the de-fatted skim milk does.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

homstdr74 said:


> Yes, but we not only use the powdered skim milk but store it for possible SHTF times. I have read that whole powdered milk does not store as well or as long as the de-fatted skim milk does.


Not trying to argue here, lol, but I've kept Nido unopened for up to 3 years and opened on the shelf (with the resealable lid it comes with) for over a year without it going bad. 

I'd probably never store milk longer than that anyway, and about the only thing I can stand nonfat milk in is certain bread mixes that call for it, but generally not for cooking and definitely not for drinking. I'd go without first, just hate the taste. But if it works for you and you like it, that's great!


----------



## homstdr74

calliemoonbeam said:


> Not trying to argue here, lol, but I've kept Nido unopened for up to 3 years and opened on the shelf (with the resealable lid it comes with) for over a year without it going bad.
> 
> I'd probably never store milk longer than that anyway, and about the only thing I can stand nonfat milk in is certain bread mixes that call for it, but generally not for cooking and definitely not for drinking. I'd go without first, just hate the taste. But if it works for you and you like it, that's great!


Not so much a matter of taste as it is stocking things for "prepping" purposes. Years ago we realized that if we used the stock we had and rotated, we could easily keep enough for longer than ten years. Basics such as several 50# bags of wheat kernels (grinding for flour, cracking for cereal, sprouting for vegetables), several 50# bags of dry soybeans (same idea), many pounds of nonfat milk (use it for protein in cereals or baking), couple hundred cans of tuna, 50# bags of TVP, etc. We've been doing that for years, and most of the products are still good after twenty years....that includes dry skim milk, BTW.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Okay, I give, lol. I've been a prepper since before there was such a word, so I understand about food stores, rotating in and out and only stocking what you eat. I have lots of wheat berries, rice, beans, tuna, and tons more it would take too long to mention, but I just don't stock milk for that long. 

Hopefully, I'll have live animals for that if the time comes. I figure several years' worth of dry will carry me through until I can make those arrangements if I haven't already by then. I also don't stock soy anything since I can't have it, that's one of the reasons I'm so upset about the Nido.

But, as I said, to each their own. I'm just glad when I hear people are prepping, so good for you!


----------



## homstdr74

calliemoonbeam said:


> Okay, I give, lol. I've been a prepper since before there was such a word, so I understand about food stores, rotating in and out and only stocking what you eat. I have lots of wheat berries, rice, beans, tuna, and tons more it would take too long to mention, but I just don't stock milk for that long.
> 
> Hopefully, I'll have live animals for that if the time comes. I figure several years' worth of dry will carry me through until I can make those arrangements if I haven't already by then. I also don't stock soy anything since I can't have it, that's one of the reasons I'm so upset about the Nido.
> 
> But, as I said, to each their own. I'm just glad when I hear people are prepping, so good for you!


Yeah but now that I've been reading about it thru what you've done, I have to get some whole milk powder and see how long it can be stored.:grin:


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Oh no, I've enabled someone again, lol!  Good luck!


----------



## Maggie

I also stopped buying NIDO because of the soy


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Sorry Maggie. I feel bad now for all the times I may have recommended Nido, not realizing they had added soy to it. 

But please write to Nestle and let them know how you feel. The more people who write in, the more chance there is they might change it back or come up with a new alternative...although I'm not sure about that, as I haven't had any kind of response from them so far. But it sure can't hurt to try!


----------



## Shrek

I have used powdered or processed canned evaporated milk since 1986 and by keeping in mind that all canned or powdered milks are often made from the less than highest quality of grading of fresh milk and one processing facility often produces for multiple name and store brands , I always choose by price.

Which ever brand fits your budget and you feel comfortable with the taste and packaging is "the best" for you.

Name brand or store brand is of minimal concern as all store brands generally are relabeled product over runs by the same facilities that prepare the name brand products for the big name brands, so store brand is actually name brand but you just don't know which name brand.


----------



## mzgarden

So an update. I wrote to Nestle and they answered -
"....in regards to an alternative, we do apologize but all of our Nido products contain soy lecithin...." They said they would pass my concern on to their Market dept.

Oh well, thanks to everyone that answered.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Still no response here. Thanks for letting us know MZG.

It used to be, when you wrote to a company, they were genuinely interested in their customers' comments (or at least they put on a good act, lol), but not any more. It's like "Here it is, take it or leave it, we don't care!". 

It's really getting old, and I'm dropping more and more products from my shopping list, but there are some things I just can't make myself. A healthy and/or quality alternative would sure be nice, even if it did cost more!


----------



## Vosey

My understanding is that all lecithin is soy based, and also all GMO (although I'll bet someone is working on changing this). Lecithin is an emulsifier and is used in very small quantities. I suspect it's always been in there but not listed due to the small amount? Just guessing here.

I get Peak brand whole dried milk on Amazon, appears to be nothing but milk, but it's made in Mexico. The hispanic market is the target for whole dried milk. For long term storage I get the non-fat dried milk.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Vosey, that sounds like it might be just the ticket!  I've never heard of that brand before, and back when I was searching for whole milk powder the only found online was the Nido. I originally had to find it in the Hispanic section, and in some stores that's still the only place to find it.

Can you tell us exactly what the ingredient list says? I found it on Amazon, but it doesn't say. That may be because there's nothing in it but pure milk, but I'd like to be sure before ordering it. It does seem to be about the same price as Nido.

The soy in Nido may be a small amount (although it is listed as the second ingredient), but I'm not supposed to have any at all. I also just don't like the way they snuck it in without notifying customers. Thanks for your help!

Still no response from Nestle here, sheesh, but after MZG's response I don't guess it matters. :shrug:


----------



## Vosey

Callie - it says "Dry whole milk with vitamins A & D". It mixes up super easy, I haven't tasted it on it's own (I should, but have a thing about dry milk flavor from my childhood and don't dare!), but use it in bread, yogurt and feed it to my chickens with their oatmeal when it's super cold.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Okay, sounds great! I'm going to order some this week. 

I understand about the childhood thing. I was actually allergic to cow's milk when young, and my aunt made me drink some anyway one time because she thought I was just being picky...I threw it back up all over the table because she wouldn't let me be excused to go to the bathroom, lol! It took me years to even try drinking milk, and I still absolutely can't stand nonfat, ick.

Thanks so much!


----------



## mzgarden

Vosey, can you check the ingredients on one of your cans of the PEAK whole milk? When I searched, I found an ingredients listing that included soy lecithin: Can ingredients: Full cream milk, soy lecithin, Vitamins A and D. Wasn't sure if that was current or not. Thanks,


----------



## Vosey

mzgarden said:


> Vosey, can you check the ingredients on one of your cans of the PEAK whole milk? When I searched, I found an ingredients listing that included soy lecithin: Can ingredients: Full cream milk, soy lecithin, Vitamins A and D. Wasn't sure if that was current or not. Thanks,


Mine definitely doesn't say full cream milk or soy lecithin. I'm trying to remember when I bought it, probably last spring or summer. Opened it after I'd had it for a bit to test it and see how I liked it.


----------



## Vosey

Hmm, I just went on Amazon and a few people listed the ingredients from their cans and they match yours mzgarden.

I was wondering just how much soy is in lecithin and found what looks to be a pretty good, non-biased article:

http://chriskresser.com/harmful-or-harmless-soy-lecithin


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Thanks for that article Vosey. I'll take it to my doctor and see what she says about it. 

MZG, maybe there's a difference between the regular whole milk http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Whole-Mi...830304&sr=8-1&keywords=peak+whole+milk+powder

and the full cream milk
http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Instant-...830380&sr=8-2&keywords=peak+whole+milk+powder

I saw the full cream option when searching yesterday, but I know "whole" milk usually consists of 4-5% fat, whereas cream is about 70-72% fat - see this separate brand listing for powdered heavy cream
http://www.amazon.com/WillPowder-Heavy-Cream-Powder-16-Ounce/dp/B00250UD1Y/ref=pd_sim_gro_2

Also, the whole milk one just says vitamins A&D, whereas the full cream one says 28 added vitamins and minerals. I just wonder if they've switched their ingredients like Nido did, without telling anyone, but hope not.

I'm going to order a can of the whole milk powder and try it, but it probably won't be until Friday or Saturday. I'll let you know what my can says when I get it. I have a friend who can use it if it turns out I can't, so it won't go to waste, nor will the FOUR large cans of Nido I have in stock, argh, lol.


----------



## calliemoonbeam

Well, I promised to come back and report on my can of Peak brand milk. I got it today...and I'm happy to say that it only says ""Dry whole milk with vitamins A & D", just like Vosey said, yay! It also tastes very good! 

It did make me realize something though. Several cans of Nido back, I noticed a little different taste than I remembered, but just chalked it up to either getting a cold or my taste buds just changing. I guess I then got used to the new taste...but I bet THAT is when they changed it to include the soy, and I never looked at the label. :smack: The Peak milk tastes like what Nido used to taste like. Also, when I look at them side by side, the Nido looks very yellow compared to the Peak.

I did buy the regular whole dried milk, NOT the full cream version, so I don't know if that's the difference or what. I suppose it's possible they're switching their formula too and I just got an old stock can, but I don't think so. The "best used by" date is March of 2017. So I'm very happy. I guess if they change theirs too, I'll try the dried goat milk, lol, but you can bet I'll be watching the labels like a hawk from now on!

Thanks again Vosey for posting about the Peak brand! 

P.S. I showed my doctor the article mentioned earlier in this thread. She said I should consider soy as an allergy, and even a little bit is bad for me. Would you take "just a little" penicillin if you had an allergy to it? That makes sense to me and she's been a great doctor for the past 12+ years, so I'm taking her word on it and avoiding ANY known soy. YMMV.


----------



## rickpaul

Raw Goat`s milk is some of the most delicious milk I`ve ever tasted.......


----------



## ccfromnc

I bought a can of Nido and like the taste but the thickness is a bit much since we drink skim milk. Can I dilute it in some ratio to get a more skim milk like thickness?


----------



## calliemoonbeam

I gave mine away already, so can't look at the can to see if it tells on there. However, someone mentioned quite a while back that they mixed half Nido which is whole milk and half nonfat dry milk, and they got a pretty comparable end product to 2% milk. 

I'm not sure what percentage skim milk is (it even looks bad to me, lol, 2% is the lowest I've ever gone). So using the above formula, I'd think just cutting the Nido powder in half with the same amount of water would give you 2%. Can you figure out the ratio you need from there?

I'd try it with just a glass full first and see how it comes out. Then if it's still too strong or too weak, you can play with the amount until you get it just how you want it and then make up a quart, half gallon, etc., like you normally would. Hope this helps.


----------



## ccfromnc

Thanks Callie, that's a good place to start and I can experiment from there.


----------



## PlicketyCat

ccfromnc said:


> I bought a can of Nido and like the taste but the thickness is a bit much since we drink skim milk. Can I dilute it in some ratio to get a more skim milk like thickness?


You can dilute it, but it might taste a little watery. Better to cut it with NF dry milk (1 pt whole to 4-5 parts NF) to use it up, and then stick with NF milk for drinking in the future if you prefer skim anyway. Nido and other whole or full cream dry milks are relly for folks who can't hack drinking skim and for some recipes that need the milk fat.


----------



## ccfromnc

Thanks! I'll add that to the experiments.


----------



## Vosey

Thought I'd throw in this post that I had no milk on hand last weekend and made yogurt out of 1/2 Peak whole dried milk and 1/2 nonfat non-instant dry milk. It was excellent! With the price of a gallon of milk it might even be cheaper, I have to do some math.


----------



## Maggie

Well, I just checked Amazon for Peak dry milk. The ingredient list on at least 3 of them says it has soy lecithin!!
Am I overlooking the one without soy?


----------



## PlicketyCat

Soy lecithin is an emulsifier which helps powered milk stay in suspension when it's reconstituted. Since most of the fat is removed and the drying process actually partially cooks the milk proteins, most powdered milk would be clumpy without an emulsifier. 

Soy lecithin in most powdered milks is a tiny amount by volume, usually at the end of the list of ingredients. Unless you have severe soy allergies, it probably won't bother you in this amount. The phytoestrogens from soy are neglible compared to the (natural) hormones already in the milk. Most soy in the US is GMO, but both GMO corn and soy are common feedstocks for commercial dairy animals anyway.

The ones you really want to watch for are soy isolates and partially hydrogenated/modified soybean oil.


----------



## thesedays

I've found that non-instant powdered milk tastes MUCH better than instant milk. And it doesn't take that long to fully dissolve - a minute or so vs. instantly. Non-instant has the flavor and texture of fresh skim milk.


----------

