I know that I try to make nutritious meals for my kids, and keep healthy drinks in our refrigerator, but I also know that too often I slack off and let my kids drink too many of those tempting sugary drinks. But apparently I am not alone; According to a new survey conducted by the national Milk Council, more than 1,000 moms across the U.S. reported fruit drinks and slushies among their children's top summertime drinks.
I was very interested to check out whymilk.com when asked by Mom Central and the Milk Council. I really needed ideas for getting more milk and less sugar into all our diets. While my kids do drink milk, I do not hardly ever pour myself a glass. Even though I know I should...I always zoom in for coffee or juice or water. Even soda will take precedence over milk for me. Ack.
So off I went to learn more about the importance of milk in my diet, as well as my kids and hubby, and to get some yummy recipes to help me incorporate milk into our daily diets.
The whymilk website really opened up my eyes to what my body is missing out on by skipping the milk. For example, did you know that milk is naturally nutrient-rich like no other beverage? In each 8 oz. glass of milk there are nine essential nutrients, plus an eight-ounce serving of milk costs less than 25 cents on a gallon basis. Milk actually provides more nutrients per penny than almost any other beverage option in the supermarket.
I think what I liked the most on the website was the Beverage Analyzer. I selected the drinks I had all day, including coffee, wine, water, soda, etc., and my weight, height and age. I was then given a report on what my BMI is (it's in the normal range for me..yes!), and how many calories I should have daily. It also showed me the percentage of daily calories that were coming from my beverages every day. I also learned that I am not getting the nutrients I need everyday because of my beverage choices.
But what impressed me most was learning some important facts about milk, bone health and kids:
Children (ages 3-13) who avoided milk were found to suffer from fractures more frequently than their milk-drinking peers. The majority of the milk avoiders had family members who did not drink milk.1
• In a two-year study of young children with a history of prolonged milk avoidance, the milk avoiders were more likely to suffer from osteopenia (low bone mass), were shorter, and had higher body mass indices (an indicator of body weight) compared to children who regularly drank milk.
• Regular calcium intake, especially calcium from milk, had a favorable effect on girls’ bone mass and attainment of peak bone density, which are critical factors in determining risk of osteoporosis later in life.
I am now 100% committed to getting more milk in all our diets. And to help me with my goal, I checked out some delicious smoothie recipes like the Strawberry Banana Smoothie and the equally yummy Blueberry Blast Smoothie. Both recipes taste as good as they sound!
So what's it like in your family? Do your kids drink milk? What about you...got Your milk today??