Dairy Treats With Essential Nutrients

It's easy to get tricked into thinking that a lot of drinks we find in the dairy case at the grocery store  are as nutritious or economical as real dairy milk. For 25 cents per 8 ounces, milk treats you to nine essential nutrients. You're being tricked if you think the nutrition of alternative drinks offers you  and your family the same nutritional benefits.

According to Midwest Dairy, milk alternatives use fortification to mimic the nutrient profile of cow's milk.

Here's how some of the most common dairy alternatives stack up:

• Soy beverages--made from soybeans and are a good source of protein, but the soy protein is a lower quality protein than the whey protein found in dairy products.
• Rice-based beverages-- are generally processed from brown rice and are fortified with nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Rice beverages contain only one gram of protein compared to eight grams in cow's milk.
• Nut-based beverages-- can be ground from any nut, the most popular is almond. Almond beverages supply only one gram of protein per serving and lack many of the natural benefits found in almonds.

It's okay to get tricked on Halloween,

 but don't let it happen when you're making nutritional decisions!

Frannie's Milk Story

Everyone loves to milk Frannie, the fun loving ,friendly Benton County Farm Bureau cow! Frannie and I made the Centerton Day Celebration last weekend with a little help from my sons to transport us to the park.

Although Frannie doesn't talk much, she gives milk generously without kicking and allows us farmers  to share how we work everyday to produce high-quality milk and  the importance of dairy foods to a healthy diet.

If Frannie did talk, this would be her story about that delicious milk she produces:

Dairy foods are nutrient rich foods that provide essential nutrients and minerals that together help to keep the body in optimal health. Milk and other dairy foods provide nine essential nutrients that include:

• Calcium: Helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
• Potassium: Helps to regulate the body's fluid balance and maintain normal blood pressure and muscle activity.
• Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy in the body's cells.
• Protein: The protein in milk, yogurt and cheese builds and repairs muscle tissue, and serves as a source of energy and satiety.
• Vitamin D: Promotes the absorption of calcium and enhances bone strength.
• Vitamin A: Helps maintain normal vision and skin and also important for bone growth.
• Vitamin B-12: Helps maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve cells.
• Riboflavin: Helps convert food into energy the body can use.
• Niacin: Helps bodies digest carbohydrates and fatty acids.

Dairy foods  provide 70 percent of the calcium in the nation's food supply and milk is the top source of potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in the U.S. diet. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend these daily amounts of low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products:

• 2 cups for children 2 to 3 years,
• 2.5 cups for children 4 to 8 years, and
• 3 cups for those 9 years and older

I'm sure Frannie would  be sure to mention that you can also find more dairy information and great nutritious recipes at  Dairy Makes Sense!

Drought Shopping Tips

In the next few weeks, drought will become a reality when doing the weekly grocery shopping to feed our families. When making decisions to get more bang for your buck, it's important to choose nutrient dense foods like dairy. Dairy foods are an economical choice and play a critical role in the diets of adults and children by providing nine essential nutrients,including calcium,magnesium,
potassium and phosphorus, in addition to 48 percent daily value of protein.

The ultimate goal of all dairy farmers is to provide safe,nutritious milk regardless if it is produced by conventional or organic production methods. It's a common misperception that some milk contains antibiotic. An important fact to know when purchasing milk is that there are NO ANTIBIOTICS in  MILK.It is illegal for any milk to be sold that has any antibiotic or medication. Milk is the safest food that you can buy because of the strict quality controls to ensure freshness,purity, and great taste. Information about milk production and comparison of organic and conventional production methods can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com.

When stretching your food dollar, make a plan that includes these tips from the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (http://www.uaex.edu):

• Set a spending limit
• Plan menus and use them to make your grocery list
• Read sale advertisement and use them to plan menus and grocery list
• Make a shopping list and stick to it
• Eat before shopping
• Clip coupons for items you know you'll use
• Try store brands
• Compare stores
• Take advantage of special discounts like senior discounts or double coupon days
• Choose your best day to shop-some stores have sales on specificd days
• Compare forms and buy the form of food that costs less for each serving
• Compare sizes and buy the size that costs less for each serving

                                               

Milk's Merits

I never questioned my mother when she told me to drink all my milk  but with the many food choices available to us, it's important to know that all  milk has merit.  Whether you choose to drink regular or flavored, whole,2%,1% or skim milk, all kinds of milk have nine essential nutrients.  Healthy nutritional choices are important in every age and stage of life. Dairy foods provide essential nutrients for good health and are an excellent way to build a healthier diet. Milk's nine essential merits include:

• Calcium--helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth
• Potassium--regulates the body's fluid balance and helps maintain normal blood pressure plus aids in normal muscle activity and contraction
• Phosphorus--helps strengthen bones and generate energy in the body's cells
• Protein--builds and repairs muscle tissue and serves as source of energy
• Vitamin D--promotes the absorption of calcium and enhances bone strength
• Vitamin A--maintains normal vision and skin and important to bone growth
• Vitamin B12--helps maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve cells
• Riboflavin--helps convert food into energy and important to normal eyesight and healthy skin
• Niacin--helps bodies digest sugars and fatty acids

In case you question your mother's advice or just want to learn more about the nutritional and economical benefits of milk,more information can be found at http://www.dairymakessense.com or http://www.midwestdairy.com.

   June Dairy Month is the perfect time to celebrate Milk's Merits!

VOTE DAIRY

Arkansas primary voting is Tuesday,May22. Campaigning has been hot and heavy in our area and tough decisions will be made on Tuesday. Although voting for dairy isn't on the Arkansas ballot, including dairy in our diet every day is an important choice.

The 2010 Dietary guidelines for Americans recommends three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products for those ages nine and older. It's a fact that on average, Americans are consuming only two dairy servings a day. Making wise nutritional choices is important to lifelong health. Here are a few reasons to consider  casting your vote for Dairy:

• Milk contains essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium,protein and phosphorus and it's fortified in vitamins A and D.
• Milk's powerful nutrient package of calcium, plus eight other essential nutrients, helps nourish your body, not just your bones.
• The protein naturally found in milk helps to build strong muscles for your active lifestyle.
• The dairy case has something for everyone--low-fat,fat-free and lactose free products to meet taste and nutritional goals.
• At about 25 cents a glass, milk is a nutritional bargain providing incomparable nutrition, value, and taste.

You can find more nutritional information and great recipes for you and your family at http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.

                                                                     

                Dairy farm families are working everyday to provide safe,high-quality milk  by
                                                  taking good care of our cows and the land.

                                           VOTE DAIRY---It's a  Healthy Choice!

                                                                              

Dairymom's Fueling Station

While your schedule may be increasing with outdoor activities and spring sports practices, our spring schedule on the dairy farm is totally out of control as we harvest spring crops,prepare to plant crops and have a lot of new baby calves to care for. During this hectic time, my kitchen seems to become a fueling station with a revolving door. Keeping plenty of milk,cheese and yogurt available is my number one fuel station priority because it provides essential nutrients that we all need and it is my family's favorite grab and go fuel-up food.

Essential nutrients are defined as "dietary substances required for healthy body functioning that must be received from food because the human body doesn't manufacture them in sufficient quantities to meet daily needs." Milk and other dairy foods provide nine of these essential nutrients. Dairy's powerful nutrition package contains:

1. Calcium: Helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
2. Potassium: Helps to regulate the body's fluid balance and maintain normal blood pressure. It's also needed for muscle activity.
3. Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy in the body's cells.
4. Protein: The protein in milk,yogurt and cheese builds and repairs muscle tissue, and serves as a source of energy and satiety.
5. Vitamin D: Promotes the absorption of calcium and enhances bone strength. it is one of the nutrients Americans lack most.
6. Vitamin A: Helps maintain normal vision and skin. It is also important for bone growth.
7. Vitamin B-12: Helps maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve cells.
8. Riboflavin: Helps convert food into energy the body can use. Also known as vitamin B2, it's important for normal eyesight and healthy skin.
9. Niacin: Helps bodies digest carbohydrates and fatty acids.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend increasing intakes of low-fat or fat-free milk  and milk products in the following amounts:

• 2 cups for children 2 to 3 years
• 2.5 cups for children 4 to 8 years
• 3 cups for those 9 years and older

You can find more information about dairy nutrition for fueling up at http://www.midwestdairy.com or http://www.dairymakessense.com.