Delightful dairy

Oct 07, 2016
Joe Jones
544 words, Reading time around 3 minutes
Living well

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Delightful dairy

Cows in pasture

Delightful dairy

Dairy is one of the most varied and often controversial food groups, it is a great natural source of many important nutrients. In this section we'll talk about the different types, why we need it in our diets, how much we need and give some suggestions on healthier choices.

What exactly is dairy?

Goat in meadow

Dairy is the name given to a wide variety of food products, which include milk, butter, cream, yoghurt and cheese. The biggest source of milk for these products comes from cows, but it can also come from goats, sheep and buffalo.

Why do we need dairy in our diets?

Dairy products are high in key nutrients such as protein and calcium, which we need for growth, repair and our bone development and maintenance. They are also good sources of vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and iodine. Milk and dairy products also contain fats in various types and amounts, which need to be included in our diets in moderate amounts to help us absorb other fat soluble vitamins.

How much should we eat each day?

Fortified almond milk

The recommended portions for dairy products are:

200ml of milk
200ml of fortified milk alternatives - almond, soya, oat, hazelnut
30g of cheese (about the size of a matchbox)
150g of yoghurt

Consuming 2-3 portions from these foods will give us the calcium our bodies need each day.

Sources of dairy in our diets

Milk
Yoghurt
Cheese
Fromage frais
Cottage cheese
Quark
Calcium-fortified milk alternatives (nut, soya, oat and rice milks)

Check the label

Some dairy products such as full-fat milk, cheese, cream, butter and yoghurt contain high levels of saturated fat, many types of cheese can also be high in salt and often low-fat yoghurts contain high levels of sugar. So a good habit to get into is checking the nutrition labels on packs, to find out just how much they contain and comparing with other similar products.

Foods with over 5g of saturated fat per 100g are high in saturated fat.
Foods with over 1.5g of salt per 100g are high in salt.
Foods with over 22.5g of total sugars per 100g are high in sugar.
Packaged foods that contain high levels such as those above, will be red in colour if using the front of pack traffic light coding system.

We all know how great dairy foods taste and what they add to dishes and meals, but as with other types of food, eating a lot that is high in saturated fat or salt on a regular basis can lead to increased risk of developing a number of health issues.

Remember, that children under 2 years old should not have reduced fat products, as they need the energy and range of vitamins found in full-fat dairy foods.

Healthier ways to embrace dairy

Check product labels for details on saturated fat, salt and sugar levels.
Remember! low-fat doesn't always mean healthier, some low fat yoghurts can be higher in sugar.
Using stronger strength cheeses like mature cheddar and parmesan in meals often means we don't need to use as much.
Feta, parmesan, ricotta or cottage cheese as great to use as they are lower in saturated fat than others.
Try substituting cream, soured cream or creme fraiche for plain yoghurts and fromage frais which are lower in saturated fats.
Instead of having a cake or ice cream for dessert, why not try making a mixed fruit salad and adding lower saturated fat plain or greek yoghurt.