This time of
year is full of holiday meals shared by co-workers, friends, and families. We often put a lot of thought into the types of foods we bring to these gatherings—but what about the beverages?! Low-fat or fat-free milk is a delicious and nutritious beverage to complete your holiday meal. I tried Eggnog Milk yesterday, and it was purely delicious. It tasted just like eggnog, and has much less fat and calories! (And, at the end of your holiday gathering, you can do the Best Bones Forever dance together to incorporate some physical activity into your event.)
In addition to calcium and vitamin D, milk is full of many other important nutrients. It is a good source of protein, potassium, Vitamin A, and niacin. It is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, vitamin B12, and riboflavin. The nutrients in milk are important for a variety of functions in our body. Calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous are vital for bone health. Dairy foods are important during childhood and adolescence because that is when bone mass is being built. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Up to 90 percent of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and by age 20 in boys, which makes youth the best time to “invest” in one’s bone health. The amount of bone tissue in the skeleton, known as bone mass, can keep growing until around age 30. At that point, bones have reached their maximum strength and density, known as peak bone mass.”
Intake of milk and milk products is associated with a reduced risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It has also been associated with lower blood pressure in adults. Calcium and potassium are two nutrients that play a role in blood pressure regulation. Dairy foods are often good sources of protein. Protein is used in the synthesis and repair of muscle tissue.
MyPlate
recommends choosing low-fat and fat-free milk. I have heard some people say they do not like milk or that they only like whole milk. After trying milk again after several years, or trying milk in a recipe, some people were pleasantly surprised to discover that they actually do like milk and/or a lower-fat milk! Here are a few strategies I learned from those individuals:
- Try it in a recipe or mixed with other foods – Some people may never feel like they can drink skim milk by itself, so maybe they could use it in recipes or mixed with other foods. Some people may be okay using lower-fat milks in recipes. Some people can use a lower-fat milk in cereal.
- Change milk type gradually – Some people can easily move from a higher-fat milk (like whole milk) to a lower-fat milk (like 1% milk), while others may need more of a gradual change. Those who prefer a gradual change, for example, may drink whole milk for a few weeks, drink 2% milk for a few weeks, etc. in order to slowly change the type of milk they are drinking.
- Try the pitcher switch – One mom took an empty pitcher and filled about 75% of it with 2% milk and 25% of it with 1% milk. After a few weeks, she filled about half the pitcher with 2% milk and the other half with 1% milk. Then she went to 25% with 2% milk and 75% with 1% milk. Eventually, she went to 100% of it being filled with 1% milk.
