Is Whole Milk Healthy? Trump And RFK Jr. Think Americans Should Drink More.

President Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others have donned milk mustaches on social media recently, declaring that “whole milk is back” and encouraging Americans to “drink up.”

This follows the release of the 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends consuming three servings a day of full-fat dairy ― including whole milk ― as part of a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, noting, “Dairy is an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.”

The DGA also lists full-fat dairy as a “healthy fat.”

Trump also signed legislation allowing schools to serve whole and 2% milk, overturning an Obama administration policy that limited options to skim or low-fat milk.

Promoting whole milk may seem confusing for some. For decades, health officials emphasized fat-free or low-fat dairy. So should you switch to whole milk or stick to skim? Here’s what doctors and registered dietitians say.

“Selecting the right milk has never been more confusing,” Alison Ruffin, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and director of clinical nutrition and lactation at Dayton Children’s in Ohio, told HuffPost. “With so many varieties of cow’s milk and plant-based alternative milks on the market, the choice can feel overwhelming and remains a very individualized decision.”

The recommendation to choose skim or low-fat milk was intended to lower overall fat and saturated fat in the American diet, with the goal of improving heart health, she said. However, obesity and heart disease continue to increase.

“Research has been evaluating whether low-fat dairy choices have had the health impact intended, yet this remains a complex topic,” Ruffin said.

Ultimately, dairy, including products with different fat quantities, has a place in “a healthy dietary pattern,” Hope Barkoukis, chair of the nutrition department at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, told HuffPost.

If you’re more likely to consume whole milk because you prefer the taste compared to skim milk, that’s adding key nutrients to your diet, she said. “It’s much better than the choice of carbonated soft drinks with extra sugars.”

The new DGA acknowledges that whole milk (and other full-fat dairy) can be included as part of a balanced diet, Ruffin said. However, she notes that the DGA suggests limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories — which didn’t change in the recent update.

So, you shouldn’t necessarily be dramatically increasing your intake of whole milk or other foods high in saturated fat, she noted.

“I am concerned about the possible impact of people recognizing whole milk and high-fat animal products are referenced on the new food pyramid and misinterpreting it as a recommendation to significantly increase intake of both,” Ruffan said.

Whole milk is higher in total fat and saturated fat than other kinds of milk. A cup contains 8 grams of total fat and 4.6 grams of saturated fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In comparison, a cup of nonfat milk has less than 1 gram of total and saturated fat. A cup of reduced-fat (or 2%) milk contains about 4.6 grams of total fat and about 2.7 grams of saturated fat.

Because of the higher fat content in whole milk, skim or low-fat milk is the “best option for people with heart disease, high cholesterol or weight management,” Randy Gould, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York City, told HuffPost. “It contains a good balance of protein, essential nutrients, with lower saturated fat and lower calories compared to whole milk.”

However, “robust randomized trials demonstrating superiority of low-fat milk to whole milk” are lacking, Scott Feitell, a cardiologist at Rochester Regional Health in New York, told HuffPost.

A 2025 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming milk, yogurt and cheese, regardless of the fat content, is “neutrally associated” with cardiovascular disease. However, a 2021 research review suggested that higher intake of high-fat milk was linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease — but researchers noted that the studies didn’t show a clear association between total intake of low- versus high-fat milk and other dairy and heart health problems.

“Whole milk, due to the higher fat content, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, or K),” Gould said. “Additionally, since the fat helps you feel fuller longer, it may potentially lead to lowering overall caloric intake and help with weight management.”

Generally, whole milk may not be as “concerning as historically it was made out to be, but for certain populations and people, low-fat or skim milk likely remains a better option,” Feitell said. “That is especially the case for those with high cholesterol or those on special diets and calorie restrictions.”

All cow’s milk contains vitamin D and calcium, which are vital for bone health, Ruffin said.

And, the quantities are similar across milk varieties, according to the USDA. For calcium, it’s 325 milligrams in nonfat milk, 306 milligrams in whole milk, and 309 milligrams in 2%. Vitamin D content is 108 international units for nonfat milk, 96 international units for whole milk, and 111 international units for 2%.

The fat content doesn’t impact bone health, Barkoukis said.

“Almost all skim milk and low-fat milks are vitamin fortified in the modern era in the USA, so from a bone health perspective, there probably is not much to be gained from whole milk,” Feitell said.

Incorporating dairy into your diet is a good thing, as it adds calcium, vitamin D and other key nutrients that are “critical to good health,” said Richard Terry, a family medicine physician and vice president of health sciences at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Elmira, New York.

But the type you choose is an individual decision, based on your health and overall diet, he said.

“Not everyone needs to drink skim or low-fat milk,” Gould added. “Whole milk may be beneficial for many people.”

Whole milk is already recommended for children aged 12-24 months, and kids and adults who need extra calories from fat to gain or maintain weight, Ruffin said. “I recommend these groups choose whole milk.”

If you’re at risk for cardiovascular disease or stroke, low- or nonfat dairy is recommended, Feitell said. It’s also a good option if you’re trying to lose weight.

But for most healthy people who eat a balanced diet, milk choice is a personal preference, Ruffin said.

Just make sure your overall diet is balanced with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and protein, with limited processed and low-nutrient foods, Ruffin said. “If people are increasing whole milk, the hope would be that they are decreasing less nutritious sources of saturated fat like ice cream and baked goods.”

Another thing to note: Most people don’t get enough calcium or vitamin D in their diets, and milk (and other dairy) are good sources of those nutrients, Feitell said.

“Dairy is a critical component of the food pyramid — it is an excellent source of protein, calories, and key vitamins and minerals,” he said. “So before we start debating the type of milk product, I always ask the patient, ‘Are you even getting enough to begin with?’”