Add More Nutrients to Your New Year With Milk
Year after year, Americans set goals to improve their physical health with resolutions to exercise more, lose weight, and eat better, but many people get off track before January ends. Instead of overreaching with unrealistic expectations, set achievable goals that can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle.
Including milk in your diet is a simple way to add more wellness to your routine. Milk is a nutritional powerhouse, providing essential nutrients our bodies need to feel and perform their best. Check out these five ways to resolve to consume more milk in 2024.
Drink Up
Milk is the top food source of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium — three of the four nutrients that most Americans are lacking. Substituting milk with plant-based alternatives can lead to gaps in key nutrients. The nutrient package and short ingredient list of cow’s milk can’t be matched, and it’s so simple to add to any meal for a nutrient boost. If you’re lactose intolerant, go for lactose-free milk - it’s real dairy milk, just minus the lactose.
Mix In
Use milk in place of water to make oatmeal, grits, pancakes, and other recipes that call for milk or water. For me, this one is a no-brainer. I love the extra creaminess that milk adds to all types of porridge, and it’s an easy way to add nutrients without any extra effort.
Recover Well
With 8 grams of protein per 8-ounce serving, milk helps you build muscle, stay active, and recover. Real milk provides complete, high-quality protein whereas most plant-based proteins are incomplete. As if you needed another reason to enjoy a glass of chocolate milk, this delicious drink is also an effective post-exercise snack to help replenish muscle protein and replace fluid lost during exercise.
Blend It
Milk and fruits and/or veggies are a powerful combination, supplying all four nutrients that most Americans are not getting enough of—calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and fiber. My family and I enjoy smoothies for breakfast, snacks, or even as a nutrient-rich sweet treat, and it’s an easy way to get kids to consume some much-needed nutrients.
Relax
Incorporating milk into your evening routine may help you sleep better. Milk contains several nutrients that play a role in sleep, including tryptophan, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and zinc.
As an accessible, affordable, and concentrated source of nutrients, milk can help you do more of whatever it is you want to do in 2024.
Jessica Ivey is a Registered Dietitian and chef with a passion for teaching people to eat healthy for a happy and delicious life. She loves spending time in the kitchen creating original recipes to help busy families eat well and enjoy more meals together. Jessica lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, three children, and her dog.
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