September is Hunger Action Month. When your stomach begins grumbling, you may fantasize about your next meal. You wonder about where your food will come from, sure, but that is a choice between what is in the fridge and what local restaurants are appealing that day. You do not worry about if you will eat that day. It is a privilege easy to forget.
Our next meal is something we take for granted. While many do not worry about if there will be another meal that day, for tens of millions of Americans, a daily meal isn’t a choice between different dishes or the level of effort it will take to make. Rather, it’s a choice between food and other crucial needs like medicine, home utilities, or childcare.
A gallon of milk is an affordable, nutrient-rich option for families in need. At just about 25 cents per 8-ounce glass, no other beverage packs the nutrition power of milk’s 13 essential nutrients for the dollar, with real milk containing calcium, iodine, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, vitamin A, B12, and D, and zinc.
Dairy is a versatile food group, as it can fit into any meal throughout the day, from a savory breakfast to a sweet snack. Pour a glass of milk, make a parfait, garnish meals with cheese, and more to make the most of mealtimes.
With these benefits, it is important for families facing food insecurity to have access to milk. Working with food pantries, The Dairy Alliance helps obtain refrigeration that allows milk and other dairy products to be shared with those who may otherwise go without it.
Penny for penny, ounce for ounce, milk delivers more nutritional value than just about any drink you can provide for just about a quarter per serving.
Learn more about Hunger Action Month and how you can take part through these blogs: