What does 3-A-Day mean?


The 3-A-Day program is just a reminder to everyone that they need to eat at least 3 servings of dairy each day, in order to maintain strong bones and healthy bodies. For more information about what 3 servings of dairy can do for you, please visit:

www.3aday.org

 

The most available source of calcium in our food supply comes from milk and foods made with milk. Because these dairy products are one of the easiest ways to meet your calcium needs, the Food Guide Pyramid recommends 2-3 servings from the Milk, Yogurt and Cheese group every day.

The Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day to get the nutrients you need. Each food group provides a unique combination of nutrients. Foods in one group can't replace those in another. For good health, you need them all.

The Dairy group is one piece of the pyramid that needs rebuilding. Most Americans do not eat the recommended number of servings to get the calcium they need.

"Adolescents and adults over age 50 have an especially high need for calcium, but most people need to eat plenty of good sources of calcium for healthy bones throughout life." ~ Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000.

One serving (8 fl oz) of milk provides 30% of your Daily Value for calcium, or 300 mg. To reach 1,000 mg every day, the foods you eat must total 100%. But if you need 1,200 or 1,300 mg of calcium (teenagers and everyone over age 50), your daily total should reach 120% to 130% of the Daily Value.

"To prevent osteoporosis, it takes a lifelong commitment to feed your bones with sufficient calcium, keep them moving with adequate exercise and make healthy lifestyle choices." ~ National Osteoporosis Foundation

 

 

Look at how chocolate milk compares to other leading beverages! The information below, distributed by the National Dairy Council and MilkPEP, compares chocolate milk to soda and fruit punch. Lots of children love chocolate milk, but many parents are concerned that it is not healthy for their children because of the chocolate flavoring.

A Dozen Reasons to Drink 3

  1. It's a convenient, delicious way to get the calcium you need.
  2. Each cup of milk offers about one-third of your daily calcium requirement. And calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet.
  3. Besides calcium, milk contains eight other essential nutrients that are important for good health: vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus, protein, niacin and riboflavin.
  4. Milk's myriad of nutrients can't be captured in a pill. Supplements typically don't provide the range and balance of nutrients you'll find in milk, yogurt and cheese.
  5. Milk is one of the few food sources of vitamin D, which is critical to help your body use calcium effectively. Your body can make some vitamin D with the help of the sun's rays, but since the sun isn't always shining on you, drinking milk can help fill in.
  6. If your diet is lacking in calcium, your body takes what it needs from your bones, weakening them over time and putting you at future risk of osteoporosis - the bone-crippling disease that affects 20 million women and 5 million men in this country.
  7. By depositing more calcium in your "bone bank" during the first three decades of life, your body will be better able to withstand the bone-depleting effects of aging. But even after your bones stop growing around age 35, a calcium-rich diet may help reduce the risk of fractures later in life by slowing bone density loss.
  8. Some experts believe that a healthy diet adequate in calcium from foods like milk may help prevent high blood pressure. This potentially serious medical condition affects one out of every four adults and can increase one's risk of heart disease.
  9. Calcium from foods like lowfat milk offers additional benefits for expectant moms. Recent studies suggest that a healthy diet including adequate calcium may help lower the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia.
  10. Milk provides potassium, which is crucial in regulating your body's fluid balance and maintaining normal blood pressure.
  11. Milk provides fluids and is a good source of protein and other key nutrients that are important for those who are physically active.
  12. It's a simple step to help close today's calcium gap.

 

For more nutritional information regarding dairy products, please visit:

This site provides you with links to multiple other sites that are related to the dairy industry.