There are excellent reasons why the whole family should add milk and other dairy products such as milk, amasi, yoghurt or cheese to their daily diet. They taste great and are packed with a unique combination of many important nutrients, which work together as a team to give you GO throughout the day and help keep your body healthy.
Dairy – a nutrient power pack
All dairy products are nutrient rich, giving you many of the important nutrients your body needs.
- The good-quality protein in dairy helps children grow and supports bones and muscle building throughout life to keep you strong.
- The natural sugar in milk (lactose) is a valuable source of energy, which helps to get you through the day. It can also aid recovery after exercise, to enable you to work just as hard next time.
- A single cup of milk gives you a third of your daily calcium needs for strong bones and teeth; almost half your vitamin B12 needs to keep your brain alert; and a quarter of your potassium needs so that your heart stays healthy and your blood pressure in check.
- Full-cream milk also delivers vitamin A, which is essential for good eyesight and to help protect you against disease.
Whether you choose milk, amasi or yoghurt, you will get all these nutrients in a single serving – and some vitamin B2, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc – to keep your body healthy.
Get the power of milk on your side
The South African food-based dietary guidelines recommend that a healthy diet should include milk and dairy every day. Health authorities all over the world say the same. So, be sure to include MILK and dairy foods such as AMASI, YOGHURT and CHEESE in your daily diet. These foods are tasty, convenient and affordable, and can be used in many different ways so that you can get all the goodness of dairy.
Smart ideas to ‘just add dairy’
- Cook oats with milk instead of water or mix milk into instant oats.
- Whip up a no-fuss breakfast by adding raw oats to yoghurt the night before and then mixing in some fruit, nuts or even a pinch of cinnamon in the morning.
- Make a fruit smoothie by blending milk, yoghurt or amasi and your favourite fruit together.
- Melt a few blocks of chocolate into a cup of hot milk for a special treat or make a milky coffee to keep you warm on a cold winters evening.
- Bake scones with milk and cheese, using this easy three-ingredient recipe:
Mix 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of grated cheese and 1 cup of self-raising flour together. Spoon the batter into a muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes at 180 °C.
- Use milk to make a hearty macaroni and cheese, a rich white sauce or a smooth custard.
- Prepare melkkos, with cinnamon and sugar, as a comfort food on a cold day.
- Spoon a dollop of plain cottage cheese or sour cream onto a baked potato.
- Sprinkle grated cheese over vegetables, omelettes, tacos or pasta.
- Mix cheese into mashed potatoes or meatballs for a creamy richness.
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