Diet rich in dairy products, milk and yogurt, contains vitamins D, A, and B12, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, protein, riboflavin, and niacin.
The federal government released the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and Americans are coming up short on key dietary nutrients even as obesity numbers continue to climb.
The dietary guidelines provide direction toward preventing and/or reducing obesity. According to the guidelines getting more exercise and eating meals that are more nutritious is still key. The new Guidelines recommends Americans choose portion sizes carefully, and select more nutritional foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk, and milk products.
As a whole, Americans are missing essential nutrients by cutting out dairy products. The DGA reports that milk, and milk products are linked to better bone health, especially in the formative years of children and adolescents. The Guidelines recommends three servings of dairy, either low fat or fat-free, every day for ages nine and older. Younger children, aged 4-8 should have 2.5 servings per day, and children ages 2-3 years should receive 2 servings.
Currently, the average American is consuming close to 2 dairy servings per day, adding just one serving of milk, cheese, or yogurt per day will comply with the new guidelines. Meeting these recommendations will help satisfy the essential nutrients of vitamins D, A, and B12, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, protein, riboflavin, and niacin. Additionally, consumption of dairy products has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and type II diabetes. With the abundant availability of dairy foods, along with being some of the most affordable sources of nutrition, it may be the easiest way to improve the American diet.
According to the Guidelines, dairy products are great for the calorie conscience as milk and dairy products account for only 10% of the calories in the typical American’s diet, but provide 58% of the recommended vitamin D, 51% of calcium, 28% of vitamin A and phosphorus, and 26% of vitamin B12.
Keith Ayoob, Ed.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine advises families who may be in search of ways to improve the nutritional quality of their diet, is to “get another glass of milk each day, it’s familiar, it’s affordable, it’s available”.
Published by the United states Departments of Agriculture (USDA) along with the Health and Human Services it was released on January 31, 2011 replacing the 2005 version. The diet guide consists of 112 pages of daily diet recommendations, cooking tips on how to avoid diseases caused by foods, safety in the kitchen and food consumption guidelines.
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