
Dairy
The Dairy Group includes milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose-free milk and fortified soy milk and yogurts. Cream cheese, sour cream, cream and butter are NOT part of the Dairy Group. Eating dairy provides a variety of health benefits.
Benefits of Dairy
There are many benefits of eating dairy and dairy-products.
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Benefits of Eating Dairy:
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Dairy products are the main source of calcium for many American diets
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Eating dairy products can help improve bone health
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Low-fat or fat free dairy products are also low in saturated fat
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Many people do not get enough potassium, which is important to maintain healthy blood pressure. Dairy products are a good source of potassium.
How much dairy should I eat each day?
How much dairy you eat depends on your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity.
What counts as a serving of dairy?
In general a serving or a cup of dairy includes:
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1 cup of milk, yogurt, or soy milk
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1.5 oz of natural cheese
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Did You Know?
Vanilla is America's favorite flavor of ice cream.

Daily Dairy Recommendations
Children
2-3 years
2 to 2.5 cups
4-8 years
2.5 cups
Girls
9-13 years
3 cups
14-18 years
3 cups
Boys
9-13 years
3 cups
14-18 years
3 cups
Women
19-30 years
3 cups
31-59 years
3 cups
60+ years
3 cups
Men
19-30 years
3 cups
31-59 years
3 cups
60+ years
3 cups
Simple Ideas to Add Dairy to Your Diet
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Make a smoothie with milk or yogurt as the base
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Snack on cheese with whole grain crackers
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Have a delicious bowl of ice cream every once and a while​
Remember: Products sold as "milks" but made from almond, rice, coconut, oat and hemp "milks" may have calcium but are not part of the Dairy Group because their nutrition content is not the same as dairy milk or fortified soy milk.