by Crystal Moroney   The role of a farm mom is many times as difficult and demanding as that of the farmers we love and support. For me, I balance keeping two little boys happy and satisfied, managing the office responsibilities, and of course, keeping those farmers well-fed during lunch (or “dinner” as they say in Texas.) Before moving … Continue reading →

By Katie Barckholtz   Take a walk into any bookstore and you will find at least an entire row dedicated to diets. It’s a four-letter word that can evoke any number of emotions: fear, exasperation, guilt, confusion.  With the thousands of diets on the shelves telling us what to avoid, when to eat, how much and how many times, sometimes … Continue reading →

by Karin Hosenfeld, RD/LD, Nutrition Expert & Owner of North Dallas Nutrition   Are your new year’s resolutions a forgotten memory? Are you dreading swimsuit season … again? If so, you are like many people who may be looking for a magic key to weight loss. One fundamental key to weight loss is to boost your metabolism. Here are some … Continue reading →

Earth Day, Every Day on a Dairy Farm! By Patty Littlefield   Every year we celebrate Earth Day – one day of the year dedicated to promoting resource conservation. After working in the dairy industry for more than 35 years, I’m somewhat amused by this single day of environmental consciousness. On a dairy farm, it’s “Earth Day” EVERY day.   … Continue reading →

by Candace Karu, Cabot Creamery   Say “cheese ball” and most of us think of a nut-rolled lump that appears with crackers at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Contrary to convention, National Cheese Ball Day – yes, it’s an official food holiday – comes in the spring, on April 17.   Truth be told, I was happy to learn we can celebrate … Continue reading →

By Betty Thompson Miss Oklahoma   Little did I know, while growing up on a small Jersey dairy farm near Davenport, Okla., that my experiences on the farm would help prepare me for my road to Miss Oklahoma, and ultimately to being named first runner up in the Miss America pageant.   My parents had five children and sought an … Continue reading →

By: Teresa Wagner, MS, RD, LD   The definition of comfort is to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer.  Knowing the definition of comfort makes me realize that the Grilled Cheese Sandwich is the perfect comfort food. For my job as a National Dairy Council spokesperson, I have traveled quite a bit over the past 10 years.   Over those … Continue reading →

by Shamila Ahmad and Neva Cochran, MS, RD, LD   With the arrival of spring, flowers bloom, the breeze becomes fresh, happiness prevails and lives get turned upside down in a cleaning frenzy!  National Spring Cleaning Week, March 19 to 25, invites people to get rid of all of their old clutter and start fresh. This year, while cleaning out … Continue reading →

By Amy Goodson     It’s National Nutrition Month, the perfect opportunity for athletes and exercisers young and old to “Shape up Your Plate!”  The new MyPlate guidelines provide tools for fueling a healthy body at every meal of the day.  Grains provide the body with energy for playing with your kids, going to work or making it through a … Continue reading →

by Angela Lemond, RD, CSP, LD   The updated guidelines for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs were released at the end of January.  As a pediatric dietitian and mom of school-age children, I was very pleased to see the increased nutrient quality that will be offered to our children and should be seen in all schools participating … Continue reading →

by Rhonda Ross   We celebrate National Ag Day on March 8. Probably 99 percent of our population would say, “What is that?” In conversation, most people think you are saying “egg” instead of “ag” because they don’t know what ag is. The word “agriculture” is rarely used by everyday people — especially those outside farming — so an abbreviation … Continue reading →

By Susan Allen   It’s “up” time!  Get dressed, check.  Make the bed, check.  Brush your teeth, check.  Fix your hair, check.  Grab your back pack, check…oh wait, breakfast!  No worries, we eat breakfast at school!  Why?  Because the benefits of eating a school breakfast are astonishing!  Yes, I said astonishing!   Before I did my research, I thought the … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mojan Safavi   February is Dental Health Month. As a practicing dentist, I always share with my patients the importance of good dental care. According to the American Dental Association, there are two main principles of good dental care:  brushing and flossing. This also includes using fluorinated water and brushing at least two minutes with a fluoride-containing toothpaste. … Continue reading →

by Joe Gonzalez   Note: During National Entrepreneurship Week, Dairy MAX would like to celebrate those who have built businesses in America and truly created the “Land of Opportunity.” The following blog by Joe Gonzalez is an example of the many farm families across this country who have struggled through the ups and downs of operating a business and prevailed … Continue reading →

by Teresa Wagner, MS, RD, LD   Have you been taking care of your heart? February is Heart Month and time to reflect on whether you are taking care of this important organ that runs our entire body. Many times the demands of the work day get in the way. Here are three tips to heart your heart at work … Continue reading →

by Colin Lowe, Dairy MAX integrated marketing assistant   While walking through the grocery store this weekend, I ran into a couple in the dairy aisle who were discussing how the milk got to the store. Instantly, my dairy and consumer education kicked in and we were able to discuss where milk came from and how it was transported to … Continue reading →

By Katie Barckholtz   Wake up, shower, get dressed, get Olivia off to daycare, eat breakfast while answering emails, make school visits, work at computer, make phone calls, lunch??, answer more emails, schedule meetings, play with Olivia after work, fix dinner, clean dinner off floor and Olivia, play some more, bath time, story time, bed time, answer more emails, crash, … Continue reading →

By Susan Allen.   With the Pro Bowl approaching, I was thinking … what if I drafted a team of most valuable players in schools who were helping kids get healthy? Who are the players helping kids make forward progress?  Several MVPs are encouraging kids to eat healthy and get active through Fuel Up to Play 60, the National Dairy … Continue reading →

  My name is Leslie Heida, I live in Hereford, Texas with my husband Richie and our 3 kids, Justin (12), Renae (10) and Tara (6).  We are originally from California and moved our dairy to Texas in 2005.  My husband is a fourth generation dairy farmer, it is our life and we love it!  Dairying has always been a … Continue reading →

By Sara Robbins, RD   A morning with oatmeal is a breakfast with my son that cannot be rushed.  He savors his homemade oatmeal, often with several helpings, with lots of, “Mmmmm’s” as Charlie, our furry friend, waits patiently without a scrap thrown overboard.  Oatmeal is one of those comfort foods that most of us enjoyed as kids, but now … Continue reading →

You Mean Chocolate Milk Doesn’t Come From Brown Cows?   Growing up on a dairy farm, all sorts of questions have been asked about cows. Almost every time I say “I grew up on a farm,” the most common response is that they have never been to a dairy. To me, I couldn’t imagine life without the dairy, and even … Continue reading →

By Teresa Wagner, MS, RD, LD   While we as Americans are overfed, we may also be undernourished. Americans are not meeting their average daily needs for key nutrients. Make a fresh start to your New Year by filling the nutrient gap with nutrient-rich foods as the solution for keeping your weight in check while obtaining essential vitamins and minerals … Continue reading →

By Beverly Idsinga, Executive Director, Dairy Producers of New Mexico   Typically the New Year signifies a time for people to start fresh.  They make resolutions to change something in their lives for the better.  For those involved in agriculture, 2012 represents another change:  The new Farm Bill.  The discussions for the 2012 Farm Bill will heat up and the … Continue reading →

by Angela Lemond, RD, CSP, LD mommydietitian.com   Christmas is a great time to talk to your children about the power of nutrition.  Santa Claus will be super busy on Christmas Eve carrying that super heavy bag of Christmas gifts, wrangling reindeer and setting up lots of toys around family Christmas trees.  Therefore, he needs the best combination of nutrients … Continue reading →

by Regan Jones, RD   As a registered dietitian for “The World’s Best Cheddar,” I often get asked about my top nutrition tips for enjoying cheese at the holidays. I believe the key to keeping nutrition and taste both top of mind when entertaining family and friends is to pair cheeses with other foods that maximize on flavor and minimize … Continue reading →