Families with children aged 5 or over
If you want lower-fat cow’s milk for tea time, consider skimmed milk alongside the child’s usual diet and check the pack before serving.
Who needs to check the milk choice?
Families with children under 5
The NHS says skimmed milk should not be a main drink at this age, even when a lower-fat option appeals.
Families managing a milk allergy or intolerance
Skimmed milk is still a milk product. Check the current label and follow the child’s clinical or dietetic advice rather than changing the milk’s fat level to address an allergy or intolerance.
What matters when choosing milk?
Start with the child’s age and any milk-related dietary requirements. Then choose a pack whose storage instructions suit how quickly your household uses milk.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Age and milk type | Check the child’s age before choosing by fat level. The NHS says skimmed or 1% milk may be used in cooking after 12 months, but not as a main drink under age 5. Derbyshire Family Health Service NHS recommends semi-skimmed milk from age 2. | I’m choosing a milk drink for tea time, not just an ingredient for cooking. If the child is under 5, I need an age-appropriate choice rather than skimmed milk as their main drink. |
| Milk allergy | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration; skimmed cow’s milk still contains milk. For a child following a cow’s-milk-free diet, use the plan advised by their doctor, allergy nurse or dietitian, as University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust advises. | If milk must be avoided, changing from whole to skimmed milk does not meet that requirement. I need to check the exact product being served. |
| Pack and storage | Check whether the milk is fresh, filtered or UHT, its pack size, and the label’s unopened and opened storage instructions. Arla Foods UK states up to seven days after opening for its 2L Cravendale skimmed milk; Marks & Spencer says its 2.272L British Skimmed Milk is best consumed within three days of opening. | Tea-time servings may use only a little milk. I want a pack I can store correctly and use within its own label’s guidance. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming lower fat suits every age
Skimmed milk may suit an older child, but the NHS says it should not be a main drink for a child under 5.
Check the child’s age before using the fat figure on the pack to choose their milk drink.
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Treating skimmed milk as milk-free
Removing most of the fat does not remove milk. It does not make skimmed cow’s milk suitable for a child who needs to avoid cow’s milk.
Read the current allergen label and follow the child’s clinical or dietetic advice for any milk-free requirement.
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Choosing a large pack without checking opened life
Opened-life instructions differ by product: Arla Foods UK states seven days for its 2L Cravendale skimmed milk, while Marks & Spencer says its 2.272L British Skimmed Milk is best consumed within three days.
Choose a pack size your household can use within the instructions on that particular pack, and refrigerate it as directed.
Milk left unused beyond the pack’s opened-life guidance may go to waste.
Which brands offer relevant skimmed milk?
These brand and retailer examples show how pack format and opened-life instructions can differ; check the label of the product you buy.
Cravendale
Arla Foods UK lists a 2L filtered skimmed milk for households considering how long an opened pack will last.
- Arla Foods UK states 0.3g fat and 0.1g saturates per 100g for its 2L skimmed milk.
- Arla states up to three weeks unopened and seven days after opening; follow the pack’s storage instructions. Its skimmed milk is not a main drink for children under 5 under NHS guidance.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label British skimmed milk in fresh pack sizes and a 2L filtered skimmed option.
- Its skimmed-milk listings include 1.136L and 2.272L British skimmed milk packs alongside the 2L filtered product.
- Choose the pack by the child’s age, your expected use and the current label’s storage instructions, rather than size alone.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists British Skimmed Milk in a 2.272L pack.
- Marks & Spencer states 0.3g fat, 0.1g saturates and 3.6g protein per 100g for this product.
- The product instructions say to refrigerate at 0°C to 5°C and that it is best consumed within three days of opening. NHS guidance still rules out skimmed milk as a main drink under age 5.
Skimmed milk options on Joybuy
These Morrisons UHT skimmed-milk options are relevant when choosing skimmed cow’s milk for a child aged 5 or over. The six-pack and single-carton listings offer different quantities; neither changes the age or milk-allergy checks above.
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Morrisons British UHT Skimmed Milk, 1 litre (6 packs)
The six-pack format suits a household that expects to use several cartons of skimmed milk. The listing says to keep unopened cartons in a cool, dry place, then refrigerate each carton after opening and use it within three days. Check the current carton label before serving to anyone with a milk-related dietary requirement.
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Morrisons British UHT Skimmed Milk, 1 litre
The 1-litre listing offers a smaller stated quantity for a household choosing skimmed milk. Its storage guidance says to keep it in a cool, dry place before opening, then refrigerate and use it within three days. Check the current carton label before serving to anyone with a milk-related dietary requirement.
Questions about children and skimmed milk
Can a child under 5 have skimmed milk at tea time?
The NHS says not to give skimmed or 1% milk as a main drink to a child under 5. It says either can be used in cooking for children over 12 months; using milk in food is different from serving it as their main milk drink.
What about a child aged 2 to under 5?
Derbyshire Family Health Service NHS recommends semi-skimmed milk from age 2. Its guidance says low-fat and skimmed milk are not recommended for children under 5 because they do not provide enough calories for a growing child’s needs.
Is skimmed milk suitable for a child with a cow’s-milk allergy?
No. Skimmed cow’s milk is still milk. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust advises that a child should follow a cow’s-milk-free diet only when recommended by a doctor, allergy nurse or dietitian; check the current ingredients of any product being considered.