THE BEGINNING OF MILO^®

MILO®, Australia's iconic crunchy milk drink, was first introduced in 1934—a time of great economic depression—by chemical engineer, Thomas Mayne from Smithtown, NSW.

Nestlé wanted to develop a tonic drink that tasted good enough that children would eat it, whilst giving them the vitamins and minerals they needed, without costing families too much. The drink also had to be made from local ingredients such as malted barley, dried milk and cocoa.

The task fell to young trainee chemical engineer, Thomas Mayne who spent four years developing what we now know as MILO®. He wanted to create a mix with vitamins and minerals that would dissolve when stirred, not just fall to the bottom of the glass. He couldn’t quite get there.

One day, Mayne walked into his kitchen to discover his daughter, Margaret and her brother scooping the crunchy bits of MILO® powder off the top of their drinks. It was then he realised that the crunch was not a problem, but a feature! And so MILO® as we know it today was born—named after MILO® of Croton, a Greek wrestler who lived in the 6th Century BC and possessed legendary strength.

MILO® Tonic Food was introduced to the public at the 1934 Sydney Royal Easter Show.

THE FAMOUS MILO® TIN

When Mayne’s MILO® was ready to sell, it needed to be easily distributed to families all over Australia, which saw the introduction of the iconic MILO® tin. This has lived on—like MILO®—to this day.

WHAT EXACTLY IS SUGAR?

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate found in a variety of foods. Fibre and starches are other examples of carbohydrates. When we eat carbohydrates, our bodies break them down to glucose. But, ‘what is glucose?’ we hear you say. Well, glucose is a type of sugar, that provides our brain and body with fuel to give your active kids the nourishing energy they need to play, jump, skip and hop.
‘Sugar’ is the family name for glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, galactose, maltose - and many others you may have heard of.
Some sugar occurs naturally in food, such as fructose found in fresh and dried fruit and lactose found in milk and yoghurt. Other sugar is added, such as sucrose, known as cane sugar, or honey and syrups.
Find out how much sugar is in one serve of regular MILO® powder & milk.

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN MILO^®?

We’re often asked how much sugar is in a glass of regular MILO® powder & milk. For a more detailed breakdown on the types of sugar in MILO®, check out the diagram to the left.

WHAT ROLE DOES SUGAR PLAY IN THE BODY?

Sugar, in the form of glucose, is a source of fuel. It gives our brain and body energy to run, play, think and live. Our body gets glucose from carbohydrate in foods.

So, what foods contain carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates come in the form of starches and fibres in foods such as bread and pasta, or as simple sugars in milk and yoghurt. They can also come from sugar that’s added to foods. Some of these foods are cakes, lollies and biscuits.
Carbohydrate foods can be either low, moderate or high Glycemic Index (GI). Find out more about the Glycemic Index.

GLYCEMIC INDEX AND MILO

The Glycemic Index (GI) is how we measure carbohydrates in food according to how they affect blood glucose levels. In a high GI diet, carbs cause blood glucose levels to spike and crash. In a low GI diet, carbs are digested and released slowly for sustained energy. As parents, we all want our kids to have long-lasting nourishing energy!

Check out the infographics provided at: https://www.gisymbol.com/infographics

Want some tips on how to follow a low GI diet?
Swapping high GI foods for low GI foods is a simple way to improve the quality of your kids health.

Here are some low GI diet examples which you could follow today:

• Choose basmati rice instead of white jasmine rice
• Low GI grains include quinoa, freekeh and buckwheat
• Low GI carbohydrates include pasta cooked al dente, pearl couscous, brown rice

Don’t forget to check out our low GI MILO

• MILO powder (AU) – 39 (Low GI) made with skim milk
• MILO powder (AU) – 36 (Low GI) made with reduced fat milk
• MILO powder (NZ) – 39 (Low GI) made with TRIM milk
• MILO Can – 39 (Low GI)
• MILO 30% Less Added Sugar - 42 (Low GI) made with skim milk

Follow the link below to view the full product range!

KIDS VITAMINS & MINERALS

Children require many essential vitamins and minerals to grow and develop. They include vitamins such as B group, C and D as well as minerals such as calcium and iron.

MILO® and skim milk is a nutritious formulated supplementary food that contains 9 essential vitamins & minerals. 

MILO® and milk contains:

• Calcium & Vitamin D for strong bones
• Iron that helps carry oxygen around the body
• Vitamin C to help support healthy immune function

MILO® and milk is a great nourishing drink and along with a balanced diet, helps to deliver essential nutrients for active kids that need a nutritional boost.

YOUR KID'S HEALTH

Children have unique nutrient needs, which are vital for them to grow up strong and healthy. So it’s essential they have a balanced diet that contains a range of nutrients.
MILO® is a wholesome source of nutrients that helps give your child the energy they need to get the best out of their day if they need a nutritional boost.

IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM

Calcium is essential for the growth and development of children as it helps to maintain strong teeth and bones whilst also helping with things like muscle function.

The amount of calcium absorbed into our bones depends on the amount of calcium that we eat. The Australian Health Survey: Usual Nutrient Intakes, 2011-12 revealed that nearly three quarters of females (73%) and half of all males (51%) aged two years and over did not meet their calcium requirements based on their intakes from food.

If they need a calcium boost, your child can get more calcium by adding MILO® to skim milk. A 200ml glass of skim milk contains 240mg of calcium (AFCD-1). Adding a standard 20g serve of MILO®, which contains 170mg of calcium, increases the calcium content of the total drink to 410mg. This means a glass of MILO® and skim milk delivers 50% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for calcium. Research supports that MILO® can help increase milk consumption and help increase your child’s calcium intake (Nutrition Research Australia 2017)