Do Not Ditch Dairy!

Ok what fad diet have you been following since January 1?  I went into a book store this weekend and I cannot believe the shelves and shelves of fad diets out there. I decided to skim through a few and there is one common theme in all of them:  they eliminate a good group. 

When you remove a food group out of your eating life, it makes it that much more difficult to stick with the plan. One food group getting the boot right now in these fad diets is dairy. 

There is nothing as refreshing as an ice cold glass of milk. Milk and dairy foods have always been a very important part of my healthy eating plan. I know, there is a lot of talk about dairy, but I believe it fits into every healthy lifestyle (yes, even if you're lactose intolerant! But that's for another blog post and a great reason to talk with your dietitian!) 

Why choose dairy foods?  Dairy is full of so many wonderful nutrients. Not a lot of foods can carry such a vast nutritional profile.  Where can you get calcium, protein, phosphorus and Vitamin D in a convenient little package? What I love about Greek yogurt and milk is that it is a perfect balance of carbohydrate and protein. This is important for all healthy individuals wanting to maintain a healthy weight because it helps your satiety and keeps blood sugars more stable. Low-fat or fat-free Chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink for all ages who perform physical activity and does a better job for keeping your body healthy than sport drinks. You can also find dairy good products at convenience stores and gas stations when you are on the go, which makes them a much healthier choice than many items in these stores. Many fast food joints are also removing soda off their kid menus and offering low-fat milk options a standard. 

What dairy products should you choose? I always recommend low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) milk, 1-2% fat on cheese items (including ricotta, cottage and cream cheese) and choosing fat-free Greek yogurt for the extra protein. You will still get all the fantastic nutrients and flavor (and cheesy, melty goodness), without the extra fat. 

How much should you have?  I recommend consuming up to 3 servings a day (8 ounces of fluid milk or 1 cup, 5-6 ounces of yogurt or one small container and 1 ounce of cheese or the equivalent of a piece of string cheese) are serving sizes. 

And don't be scared to use these amazing foods as healthier substitutions in recipes. Fat-free plain Greek yogurt does a fantastic job filling in for sour cream and have you had homemade hot chocolate with fat-free milk?  Talk about dreamy!!! 

This is my all-time favorite dairy recipe that you have got to try! I add 3 scoops of whey protein powder to boost my protein and freeze the other 2 servings to have later. I take it out of the freeze before my workout and it's ready to drink when I get home! 

The recipe is courtesy of dairymakessense.com: 

Banana-Caramel Smoothie

     

• Servings: 3
• Prep time: 5 mins
• Total time: 5 mins
• Created by: Midwest Dairy Association

Ingredients

• 2 medium bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen*
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• ¼ cup purchased caramel sauce
• *Note: Use frozen banana slices to chill and thicken your smoothie. Just peel and slice each banana and freeze in a separate zip-top plastic bag. This is a great way to use ripe bananas and have them ready for your next smoothie.

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth. Serve in tall glasses or on-the-go drink containers.

Cheers! (wearing a milk mustache with pride!)  ~Crazy