Adding Dairy for Bone Health

Strive to get three servings of low-fat or fat-free, nutrient-rich dairy foods, like milk, yogurt and cheese, every day. According to Florida Dairy Farmers, dairy products contain nine essential nutrients, including calcium and potassium, which may help to better manage your weight, build strong bones and reduce your risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers. Check out these 10 tips from MyPlate on how you can make wise choices in the dairy group:

1. Skim the fat. Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk. If you currently drink whole milk, gradually switch to lower-fat versions. Switching to these versions cuts calories but does not reduce the amount of calcium or other nutrients.
2. Boost potassium and vitamin D and cut sodium. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt more often than cheese. Milk and yogurt have more potassium and less sodium than most cheeses. Almost all milk and many yogurts are fortified with vitamin D.
3. Top off your meals. Use fat-free or low-fat milk on cereal and oatmeal. Top fruit salads and baked potatoes with low-fat yogurt instead of higher-fat toppings such as sour cream.
4. Choose cheeses with less fat. Many cheeses are high in saturated fat. Look for “reduced-fat” or “low-fat” on the label. Try different brands or types of cheese to find the one that you like.
5. Swap the cream in your coffee. Get your calcium along with your morning caffeine boost. Make or order coffee, a latte or cappuccino with fat-free or low-fat milk.
6. Substitute! When recipes such as dips call for sour cream, use fat-free or low-fat plain Greek yogurt instead. Use fat-free evaporated milk instead of cream and try reduced-fat ricotta cheese as a substitute for cream cheese.
7. Limit sweetened dairy foods. Flavored milks, fruit yogurts, frozen yogurt and puddings can contain a lot of added sugars. These added sugars are empty calories, so it is best to choose sweetened dairy foods less often.
8. What about cream cheese? Regular cream cheese, cream and butter are not part of the dairy food group. They are high in saturated fat and have little to no calcium.
9. Keep it safe. Avoid raw milk or any products made from unpasteurized milk. Store milk and other dairy products in the refrigerator at a temperature below 40 degrees F. If food has been left at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F for more than two hours, discard it even though it may look and smell good.
10. For lactose intolerance. Try lactose-free milk, drink smaller amounts of milk at a time or try a milk alternative such as soy milk. Calcium can also be found in foods such as some canned fish, beans, leafy greens and soy products. The amount of calcium that can be absorbed from these foods varies. 

Dairy Calendar 

May

• National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month (National Osteoporosis Foundation)

June

• National Dairy Month (National Dairy Council)

For More Resources on Dairy, Please Visit:

• Florida Dairy Farmers
• National Dairy Council
• National Osteoporosis Foundation