5 Reasons My Family Drinks Raw Milk
When it comes to feeding ourselves and our families, it can feel overwhelming to make the “healthiest” choice.
We live in a time when the internet gives us more information than we could ever need. This can be a blessing, but it can also leave us feeling confused and stuck. So today, I’m going to make it simple and share the top five reasons my family drinks raw milk:
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- Nutrient Density
- Immune System Boosting
- Digestibility
- Skin Health
- Freshness and Taste
1. Nutrient Density
Raw milk is my number one super food I will never give up! I have two small kids who are good eaters, but they are also starting to experiment with their independence. One of the easiest places for them to do this is at the dinner table.
One day broccoli might be their favorite. The next day they refuse to even look at it. It is easy to start to worry that they aren’t getting all the nutrition they need!
But, because my kids drink raw milk, I don’t have to stress about every single bite they take. I know they’re still getting:
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- 8 grams of protein per cup
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- Healthy fats
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- Vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium
It makes the stress over feeding them a healthy diet a whole lot easier. It’s ok if this week they have decided blueberries are toxic (hah! My wallet wishes!), or next week they’ll only sniff at their burger. I know that they’re still getting what they need to stay healthy and grow!
2. Immune System Boosting
I don’t have time to get sick, and I bet you don’t either!
Along with other immune-boosting foods like raw honey, I make sure to drink raw milk. It’s rich in:
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- Vitamins A, D, and C — all important for immune function
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- Glutathione — an antioxidant that repairs cells and helps your body fight illness
I love using our raw milk, yogurt, or kefir in smoothies for a power packed quick meal or snack. It’s perfect for an everyday treat or a intervention when you feel a cold coming on!
3. Digestibility
I’m pretty sure we all know someone who has trouble with dairy or is lactose intolerant. However we’ve found many people who can’t drink store milk have no trouble with raw milk from our Jersey cows.
Raw milk is gentle on your stomach, which makes sense—milk is nature’s first food!
I’ve seen it over and over with our herdshare members. They can’t tolerate pasteurized store milk, but they drink raw milk with no problems.
It was also a lifesaver for me during both pregnancies. When most foods made me feel sick, milk was one of the only things I could keep down. I often drank two quarts a day during those weeks, getting the nutrition I needed to grow healthy babies.
4. Skin Health
Many of our customers drink raw milk to help their skin! It’s great for giving you a glow from the inside out, but can also help with skin conditions like eczema.
One customer had painful eczema for years. They tried everything, steroids, medicated creams, cutting out dairy and gluten—but nothing gave lasting relief.
A flare-up led them to discover that a lack of l-histidine, an amino acid found in animal foods, can cause eczema. The best sources? Beef, pork, lamb, fish, and you guessed it…milk!
Now they drink raw milk daily, and it’s a key part of keeping their skin healthy!
5. Freshness and Taste
This might be last on the list, but it’s first in our hearts.
Fresh, full-cream raw milk is so much sweeter, creamier, and richer in flavor than anything you can find in the store. When people I meet learn I have dairy cows, one of the first things they always mention is how delicious the milk from their grandparents dairy cow was. The loss of family dairies means we have so many people who remember the amazing taste of fresh milk, but unfortunately haven’t been able to have it for years!
On a recent trip, we had to buy the best store milk we could find—organic, grass-fed, low-temp pasteurized. It was still thin and tasted like musty cardboard.
My kids, who normally drink half a gallon a day, barely drank a gallon in ten days. They were so happy to come home and have the real thing again.
Why We Love Raw Milk
There are so many reasons to drink raw milk, and this list only scratches the surface. I believe switching to raw milk is one of the easiest ways to care for our health and eat nutrient-rich food.
Between my own family and the stories I hear from customers, I’ve seen the benefits firsthand. Raw milk might not be the right choice for every person and every family, but it has been wonderful for ours!
Interested in joining the herdshare and discovering the benefits of raw milk for your family? Sign up here!
2 Responses
There is so much controversy now from PETA, HSUS, ASPCA, etc. regarding any cow’s Milk due to what happens to the baby calves. I have read what happens to the calves at factory farms and dairies. What happens to them at your local family farm.
Hey Susan! That’s a great question (:
Our beef calves are always raised by their mother, the dairy calves are either bottle raised or are fostered onto a different mother. If we have several that are born around the same time we will assign one of our cows as “group mom” and she will then raise 3 or 4 babies. Many of our singleton bottle calves go to be raised by other farmers who have a beef cow that has lost her calf and needs a new baby, or homesteaders who are looking to raise up their own future milk cow.