“Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies, choose lean proteins to fill a fourth of your plate, and make the other fourth of your plate whole grains at least half the time.” As registered dietitians, we hope these messages resonate and help make healthy eating easier. While all of these messages are important, it’s crucial to remember that the USDA My Plate icon is more than just those three sections on the plate.
The glass on the side representing low-fat dairy products is important for making My Plate a true representation of a balanced diet. As a registered dietitian and a personal fan of milk, cheese and yogurt, it’s so important that we remember to help our clients understand the true value of consuming three servings of low-fat dairy each day. Below, I’ve listed three reasons why I believe low-fat dairy is an always important food group.
It’s a nutritional powerhouse. Low-fat dairy products such as milk cheese and yogurt are naturally nutrient-rich in nine essential nutrients including calcium, potassium, and magnesium. That’s why the Dietary Guidelines identifies low-fat dairy foods as a “food group to encourage.” Not only that, but low-fat dairy is also a great source of protein-for example, an 8oz. glass of fat-free milk provides 8g of protein, so I like to reach for milk after I work out.
It’s inexpensive. Even as food costs increase, milk is one of the most economical sources of high-quality protein. At just around 25 cents per glass, it’s one of the most accessible sources of high-quality nutrition. I’m a big believer that eating healthy doesn’t mean going broke, and low-fat dairy products are one of the first things I encourage people to put in their carts because it provides such a big nutritional bang for their buck.
It’s convenient. Low-fat dairy is one of the easiest healthy foods for busy people to add to their diet because it requires such little preparation. A serving of low-fat yogurt is one of my favorite grab-and-go options! When combined with a piece of fruit and whole grain granola bar, you get a balanced breakfast filled with needed calcium and protein. A slice of low-fat cheese paired with some fresh veggies makes a snack more filling and flavorful, no cooking required. And a glass of fat-free milk elevates a typical dinner by adding nutrients like vitamin D that are rarely found in other foods.
You can see from these three reasons alone how important low-fat dairy products are to a healthy diet, yet they are some of the most under-consumed healthy foods in America today. I share how I remember milk and milk products every day with my “Eat Like Me” series for Self Magazine. I hope my fellow dietitians and health professionals will join me in encouraging Americans to make sure low-fat dairy isn’t missing from our plates.
Sarah-Jane Bedwell, R.D., L.D.N., is Nashville’s Nutrition Expert. A national speaker and media personality, Sarah-Jane has educated and entertained hundreds of different corporate and community groups as well as professional associations.
As the official "Eat Like Me" food and nutrition blogger for SELF Magazine, a national women's health and fitness magazine, she has a valuable platform in which she can share the information that she is both knowledgeable and passionate about.
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