Source: Bambu Productions / Getty
It’s Dairy Month (sorry lactose-intolerant crew, but you can always just take a little Lactaid to celebrate…) and a good time for me to admit that I kind of have a cheese problem. Okay I’m totally addicted to cheese. I find a way to add it to every single meal. I have to stop and take quick stock of my cheese intake for each day in the evenings so I don’t accidentally have a cheese omelet for breakfast, a quesadilla for lunch, and cheese pizza for dinner. But, dairy is only a problem for me because I overdo it. Unfortunately, a lot of people avoid the stuff entirely thinking it’s too high in fat or calories. Dairy gets a reputation it doesn’t deserve, all because it’s in things like ice cream and nachos. But dairy can actually be very good for us! It contains calcium, which we need for strong bones, and vitamin D, which we need to properly absorb calcium. It’s also a good source of protein. It’s all about having a healthy relationship with the stuff, and knowing the facts.
Source: Jose A. Bernat Bacete / Getty
The nutrient profiles might surprise you
One might believe that, the more fat milk has, the more nutrients it has. And while it’s true of many food products that the lower-fat items are stripped of many nutrients, that’s not necessarily true of milk. In fact, skim milk has 10 percent of your daily vitamin A needs, while two percent has nine percent, and whole milk has just five percent.
