The National Dairy Council is turning 100 this year. We’re celebrating with 100 things we love about dairy. We covered the first 25 back in January; here’s the next batch.
- Cow kisses.
- Every milking is like a trip to the playground. Lots of dairy farms now use carousel milking parlors; cows step into milking stalls on a rotating platform, and after one rotation, they’re done.
- Dairy farmers are all about recycling. As farmers, they’re pledged to take care of the land so they can raise healthy kids and pass their legacy on to future generations. That means keeping things clean and recycling everything, from water to waste.
- Spotting dairy is a fun movie game. Whether it’s a cute calf, a milkshake or a scene in a pizza parlor, you might be surprised how dairy – in one form or another – makes a surprising and fun guest appearance in most of your favorite movies!
- Cows are deliciously productive. A dairy cow will produce enough milk per day to make 5 gallons of ice cream – enough for 160 people to have an ice cream social.
- Speaking of ice cream…is there a more perfect food on the face of the earth?
- Calf births will fill you with awwww. Normal people might see a calf being born and think ewww gross. But try it on a bunch of new mothers and you get a way different reaction.
- The skeleton key. Studies show that calcium intake builds stronger bones during growth, reduces bone loss with age, and reduces fracture risk – and dairy provides nearly 75%
- of the calcium available in the food supply.
- Weight to go! Two of milk’s nutrients have been linked to slimmer waists: Protein keeps you fuller longer and helps you maintain muscle while you’re losing fat; calcium eaten in foods (like in dairy products) has also been linked with weight loss.
- Fueled with phosphorus. Phosphorus helps your body use and store energy. And a single glass of milk has 20% of your daily value.
- Charged with electrolytes. Electrolytes are electrically charged ions that trigger nerve impulses and muscle contractions needed for basic body functions. And dairy’s got several of them to refuel and replenish what the body loses during exercise.
- Powered with potassium. Potassium is one of those electrolytes. There’s more potassium in a glass of milk than in a small banana.
- Low-fat: Still high nutrition. Low-fat and skim milk still have all the same nutrients as whole milk.
- Less than 10% of daily calories. It’s a huge misconception that milk is high in calories. Even a glass of whole milk contains less than 10% of your daily calories – and for that, you’re getting 30% of your daily calcium, 25% of your Vitamin D, and 16% of your protein. And that’s just the beginning.
- Tea for two, and two for tea and Thai iced tea for me. I pity you if you haven’t tasted the glory that is Thai iced tea. Strong, sweet, cool and creamy with half-and-half or sweetened condensed milk. Here’s a recipe.
- Dairy transforms prison food into comfort food. Without the cheese in a grilled cheese, you’re left with nothing but stiff bread, like the stale stuff prisoners in movies eat. Which makes cheese, like…a miracle. Get our grilled cheese recipes.
- Froyo. First, you get to feel like some kind of engineer working the lever at the self-serve machine. Second, you get to feel like an artist composing a masterpiece as you choose your toppings and mix-ins. Third, you get to say “froyo.”
- Keep the moo in smoothie. Because a smoothie is the version of a milkshake that doesn’t seem healthy but totally is (at least it can be if you make it right).
- Do you have any queso? Ever been up north, ordered queso, then had to explain what it was – only to be brought a bowlful of shredded cheese? We feel your pain.
- Dairy + absolutely any other food = beauty. I dare you to think of a dish that can’t be improved by dairy. Whether it’s adding cheddar to your eggs, yogurt dressing to your salad, grated Parmesan to your pasta, or whipped cream to your pie.
- The stringiness of cheese. Certain cheeses are so beautifully stringy when melted, you feel like you can play bluegrass with them.
- It’s afforda-bull. Though the price of a gallon goes up and down, do the math and you’ll find milk still comes to about a quarter per cup. I dare you to find that many nutrients for that good a price with any other food.
- Cheese is the new cake. There’s a new trend of cheese wedding cakes – not cheesecake – three tiers of cheese wheels adorned with fresh flowers. A little weird, but a lot more tempting than boring old white cake.
- Speaking of wedding trends…milk and cookies is another big, delicious wedding trend. And, let’s face it, the perfect marriage of flavors.
- Yogurt is now the official state snack of New York. And since New York is one of the biggest trendsetters, when they latch onto something, you’d better pay attention.
