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Get Your Calcium-Rich Foods
[Image: milk group graphic]Milk Matters! That’s the name of a new campaign from the NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to promote calcium consumption among tweens and teens, especially during the ages of 11 to 15, a time of critical bone growth.
That’s a great message, but it’s important to remember that milk matters to all age groups. In fact, USDA’s MyPyramid recommends 3 cups from the milk group for all children and adults over the age of 8 years old. Children from 2 to 8 years of age need 2 cups from the milk group each day.
The milk group includes products made from fluid milk, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group, while foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not.
Recommendations from the milk group are based on 1 cup of milk or comparable amounts of other foods such as 1 cup of yogurt, 1 ½ ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese.
It’s important to consume milk products throughout our lives. Studies have shown that diets that include milk products tend to have a higher overall nutritional quality. Dairy foods are some of the richest sources of calcium, an essential nutrient which is used for building bones and teeth and in maintaining bone mass.
Milk products are also high in protein, vitamin B12 and other minerals the body needs, such as selenium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure, and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan includes 2 to 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
Most milk is fortified with vitamin D, which helps the small intestine absorb calcium. Low-fat and fat-free milk are often fortified with vitamin A, which is lost when the milk fat is removed.
Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products helps reduce total and saturated fat intake and calories in the diet, which is important for heart health and weight management. If you usually drink whole milk, make the switch to fat-free milk gradually. Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%), and finally fat-free (skim).
Yogurt is a great choice to help mee[Image: milk ]t your recommended number of servings of milk products. Typically, a cup of yogurt has 450 milligrams of calcium, compared to 300 in a cup of milk. This is 30 to 50 percent of most people's daily needs.
Numerous health benefits beyond its nutritional value have been associated with consuming yogurt. These specific health benefits depend on the strain and viability of the culture in yogurt. This is why it is important to choose yogurt with a seal indicating that it contains live, active cultures.
The healthy bacteria in yogurt may help replace the beneficial intestinal flora that can be killed by antibiotics. The bacteria also help to boost our immune systems, enhance digestion, increase mineral absorption, synthesize certain B vitamins, and have other health benefits. Scientists have found that intake of yogurt with active cultures may fight other sources of infection and protect against cancer.
For those who can’t drink milk because of the lactose, which is the sugar in milk, yogurt is usually well-tolerated. The bacteria in yogurt with active live cultures break down some of the lactose in milk. In some cases, the bacteria may stay alive for a while in the intestinal tract, and in this case, they will continue to help digest the lactose. Also, many yogurts contain lower amounts of lactose than milk.
Buying the plain, lowfat or nonfat yogurt is the best choice, and it is also less expensive. Plain yogurt is versatile. It can be sweetened, flavored with vanilla or lemon, served on a baked potato or served with fruit, among other things. You can also add powdered cocoa to plain, nonfat yogurt for a new twist. Plain yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream in dips and other dishes to boost calcium content and reduce fat.
There are lots of good reasons to try yogurt and many ways to use it – try some today.
Visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/ for more information, or contact the West Feliciana office of the LSU AgCenter Extension Service at 635-3614.
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| Posted on: 10/4/2007 12:00:04 PM |
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