 Servings from the milk group are expressed as cups  Need 3 cups a day  Refer to chart

 Intake of dairy products is linked to improved bone health, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  The intake of dairy products is especially important to bone health during childhood and adolescence, when bone mass is being built.

 Calcium is used for building bones and teeth and in maintaining bone mass.  Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Dairy products, especially yogurt, fluid milk, and soymilk (soy beverage), provide potassium.  Vitamin D functions in the body to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorous, thereby helping to build and maintain bones. ◦ Milk and soymilk (soy beverage) that are fortified with vitamin D are good sources of this nutrient. Other sources include vitamin D-fortified yogurt and vitamin D-fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.  Milk products that are consumed in their low-fat or fat-free forms provide little or no solid fat.

 Diets high in saturated fats raise "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood. ◦ High LDL cholesterol increases the risk for coronary heart disease  A high intake of fats makes it difficult to avoid consuming more calories than are needed.

 Choose fat free or low fat milk.  If you drink cappuccinos or lattes-ask for them with fat free (skim) milk.  Add fat free or low fat milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals.  Have fat free or low fat yogurt as a snack  Make a dip for fruits or vegetables from yogurt.  Make fruit-yogurt smoothies in the blender.  Top cut-up fruit with flavored yogurt for a quick dessert.  Top casseroles, soups, stews, or vegetables with shredded reduced fat or low fat cheese.

 Whole: 8g fat per 8 oz serving  Reduced fat: 5g fat per 8oz serving  Low-fat: 2.5 g fat per 8oz serving  Fat-free milk: trace of fat  Fresh whole milk contains 87% water and 13% solids, some is milk fat  The fat-free solids contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and lactose

 Fat-free dry milk- powdered form, can be reconstituted with water, must be refrigerated after being reconstituted, can be added to recipes to increase nutrients  Evaporated milk- half the amount of water as regular milk  Sweetened condensed milk- concentrated, sweetened, used for candy and desserts  Lactose-free or reduced lactose- does not contain the milk sugar lactose for people who are lactose intolerant

 Milk must be pasteurized before it can be sold  Pasteurized- heat-treated to kill enzymes and harmful bacteria  Enzymes can make milk spoil  Homogenization- fat is broken down and evenly distributed in milk  Mostly all of the vitamin A is removed and by law it must be added back in  Manufacturers also add in vitamin D  

 Yogurt- made by adding harmless bacteria culture to milk  Higher in calcium than milk  One cup fat free yogurt contains 452 mg of calcium  One cup fat-free milk has 302 mg of calcium ◦ How Yogurt is Made: ◦ ◦ How Butter is Made: ◦

 Made from milk curds with the whey drained off  Flavorings and seasonings are added ◦ Pasteurized process cheese- ripened cheeses processed with heat  American, cheese spread, cheese food ◦ How Cheese is Made ◦ ◦ Cheese Making Process ◦ ◦ How to Make Swiss Cheese ◦

 Liquid separated from milk  Heavy cream whips easily  Light cream is used in coffee  Half and half- mixture of cream and milk  Sour cream is made by adding lactic acid to cream

 Ice cream- whipped frozen mixture of milk, cream, sweeteners, flavorings  Frozen yogurt- similar to ice cream but yogurt cultures are added  Sherbet- made from milk fat, sugar, water, flavoring ◦ Has less fat and more sugar than ice cream

 Most products can be safely used for up to 5 days after the expiration date  Tightly close milk and cream containers because they can pick up aromas  Store milk away from light; it destroys the riboflavin in milk  Keep cheese tightly wrapped  Store ice cream tightly covered in the freezer

 Milk must be cooked carefully at moderate temperatures for a limited time  Problems that can arise when cooking milk:  Protein solids clump together and form a skin on the surface  Makes milk bubble up and boil over  To prevent a skin from forming, cover the pan or stir regularly, wire whisk works well

 Scorching is when milk solids fall, stick, and burn at the bottom of the pan ◦ Use low heat and continue to stir ◦ Using a double boiler helps prevent scorching  When milk separates into the curds and whey, it is called curdling ◦ Can happen when heated with acidic foods, salt, or high heat ◦ Use low temperatures, stir, or combine with acidic foods gradually  Some recipes call for scalded milk, which means it is heated just below boiling

 Nutrients in yogurt stay the same if it is cooked, baked, or frozen  Whey can separate from the yogurt, so stir it back in before using it  It will curdle if overcooked

 Heat cheese just long enough to melt it, overcooked cheese can be stringy and tough  Speed up cooking time by shredding, grating, or cut into small pieces  Cheese will be more hot than other foods when microwaved because the fat attracts the microwaves  To lower fat, use sharp flavored varieties because you will not have to add as much