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Feature Articles: Eating Well
June is Dairy MonthTammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, |
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June is the month when we are reminded to be sure to include three cups or the equivalent of milk every day. Consuming the required amount of milk products helps to assure we get enough calcium to build and maintain our bones.
People sometimes decrease milk products in their diet because they think it is fattening. Low-fat and fat-free milk products are the best choice for the fat and calorie conscious. An eight ounce glass of whole milk has 150 calories and eight grams of fat (4.5 grams of saturated fat). If you choose an eight ounce glass of fat-free milk, you consume 85 calories and less than one gram of fat.
For the weight conscious, you may want to think twice before decreasing dairy products in your diet. The National Dairy Council reported that a study showed that women who consumed the most calcium and ate at least three servings of dairy foods per day were less likely to be obese than those who had low dairy intake. There have been similar results in other studies with children and women of all ages.
Adequate Intake (AI) for calcium is set at 1,300 milligrams daily for children ages 9-18. It is high for this age group because that is when the most bone mass is built. For adults up to age 50, AI for calcium is 1,000 milligrams. After age 50, the amount of calcium needed is increased to 1,200 milligrams per day to help maintain bone mass. Each cup of milk you drink provides approximately 300 milligrams of calcium. One cup of yogurt provides around 345 milligrams of calcium and an ounce and a half of cheddar cheese provides 307 milligrams of calcium. It’s easy to see how eating dairy products makes it easy to have adequate calcium intake.
If you don’t like to just drink plain milk, try a fruit-flavored smoothie! This recipe, developed by Kraft Kitchens, is one of many listed on the 3aday.org web site. Place the following four ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth: 1 ½ cups cold fat-free milk, 1 ½ teaspoons low calorie strawberry drink mix, 8 ounces of vanilla lowfat yogurt and one cup of frozen strawberries. This could be a refreshing snack or a great breakfast on the run.
If you just drink milk at each meal, it isn’t hard to get your three cups of milk every day. If milk isn’t your favorite choice, add cheese to casseroles or your favorite sandwich, choose yogurt as a snack or create your own favorite smoothie. Your bones will thank you.
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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