Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D

Reduced-fat 2% milk is the everyday milk poured over cereal, stirred into coffee and tea, used in baking, or drunk on its own alongside a meal. Its texture sits between whole milk and skim, still creamy enough to feel satisfying but noticeably lighter, and it works in most recipes calling for milk without the fuller richness of whole milk. It is a common base for pancake and waffle batters, mashed potatoes, cream sauces, and smoothies, and it froths reasonably well for coffee drinks even though it foams less densely than whole milk.

Keep milk refrigerated at all times and use it by the date on the carton, giving it a sniff before use if it is close to expiring, and avoid leaving it out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours. At just 50 calories and 4.8 g carbohydrate, mostly natural lactose at 5.06 g sugar, per 100 g, it is a relatively low-calorie way to add creaminess and volume to a dish or drink, and its 47 mg sodium per 100 g keeps it on the lower end for a packaged beverage. A cup (244 g) scales up from the 3.3 g protein and 1.98 g fat per 100 g, useful as a mild addition to a meal rather than a primary protein source.