Nutrients in Milk
Milk and milk products are highly nutritious foods. They contain
a unique “package of nutrients” that are an essential part
of a healthy eating plan. Milk is not easily replaceable with
other foods; the “substitutes” are not the same.
Research continues to identify positive ways that milk impacts health. In
addition to building healthy bones, scientific evidence suggests that consuming
milk products can boost immunity, lower blood pressure, reduce risk of diabetes,
reduce risk for some cancers and support weight maintenance strategies by
increasing satiety. Milk is an excellent source of high quality protein,
which is important throughout life and specifically for athletes and the elderly.
The following pages describe the nutrient content and health benefits of milk,
cheese and yogurt and the amount of nutrients per 8 ounce serving. The pages
provide the percent Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Daily Value (DV)
met by 14 key nutrients found in these milk products.
Milk
Yogurt
Cheese
Dairy Desserts
In addition to these health benefits, milk and milk products taste good, are convenient, are affordable and—most importantly—they offer three of the four nutrients of concern that are often deficient in Americans’ diets: calcium, vitamin D and potassium. For that reason, the USDA recommends that adults consume three servings per day.
Pouring a glass of milk with meals, adding cheese to salads and sandwiches,
and snacking on yogurt are easy ways to satisfy these recommendations and
create healthy eating habits for the whole family.