On MyPlate, a small space is reserved for your dairy intake. This is the circle that looks like where you place your glass. You need less amounts of these foods on a daily basis.

Dairy products basically consist of milk, cheese and yogurts.

Dairy products are high both in calcium (good for you) and saturated fats (not so great for you). Calcium is important for our bone strength and making sure that our nerves function correctly. Dairy can also be an important source of Vitamin D (needed to use calcium) as well as potassium and protein. 

Some people start their day with a yogurt because it contains probiotics. Probiotics are “good” bacteria that your body needs for a healthy immune system and digestive tract. The balance of “good” bacteria in the gut can often be depleted by medications and stress, so eating foods with probiotics, like yogurt, can be a healthy way to restore the balance.

BUT!!! As mentioned, dairy products tend to be high in saturated fat, so you need to be careful about how much you eat or drink. And if you do eat dairy that has fat in it, be sure to include that added fat or sugar as part of your total fat and sugar intake for the day. 

Because drinking milk has been a little controversial and for some people dairy products are hard to digest (causing gas, bloating and diarrhea), know that you can also get your calcium intake from dark leafy greens, beans, salmon firm tofu, broccoli and almond milk. 

Also, as some people age, they become more and more lactose intolerant (lactose is the sugar enzyme in milk that causes dairy digestion problems discussed above). At least 70% of people worldwide have trouble digesting lactose.

(Source: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance#statistics)

CLICK HERE to find more CALCIUM–rich foods, or wait to read the bonus material in this section.