Real kids, real milk, real nutrition.
We are in uncommon times and navigating a new normal. While we try to manage so much uncertainty right now, high-quality nutrition can feel lower on the list of priorities. Yet, fueling healthy minds and healthy bodies with proper nutrition is a critical component for classroom learning.
Eating a variety of foods from all five food groups is the foundation for healthy eating patterns: vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy. This includes milk, a longstanding staple in most grocery baskets. But you may be wondering, why milk? It comes down to the fundamentals of good nutrition.
So, Why Milk?
“Can’t my family get bone-building nutrients found in milk, like calcium and vitamin D, from other sources?”
Yes! But this is where the confusion comes in, so let’s stick to the facts:
FACT: Milk naturally provides many ESSENTIAL nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, protein and B vitamins.
FACT: The calcium in milk is easily absorbed and used by the body. Some plant foods contain oxalate or phytate (substances that can inhibit the body’s absorption of calcium).
FACT: It takes a substantial amount of other calcium-providing foods to match the amount of calcium and 8 other essential nutrients in one glass of milk (8 oz).