You'll Get More With Dairy

Letting my oldest, the county June Dairy Month Chairperson, guest post today. Here is her recent essay.

Every morning when I wake up I immediately head to the kitchen for some milk and my favorite cereal, Froot Loops. When I sit down, I look out my window to see the milk truck driving by. In it I know is my family’s milk. The milk truck will take our milk to the processor and then take it to your breakfast table. But how exactly do you get more with milk? I am Catherine Bright,our county's 4-H dairy chairwoman, and this is how you get more with milk.

Milk is a great way to stay healthy. Not only does it possess tons of nutrients, but it also has other health benefits. Did you know that drinking milk can lower the risk of certain types of cancer by 35 percent? Or that consuming milk, or other dairy products, can reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure in adults and obesity? I mean, one cup of 1 percent milk has the calcium of 10 cups of raw spinach. Moms, trust me on this one, most kids would prefer milk over spinach any day.

Some other nutrients found in milk include protein, phosphorus and magnesium. These keep your bones and teeth strong and healthy and also helps in their development. These are certainly all ways that you can get more with milk.

I am an avid dancer, and after three long dance classes I am extremely tired, hungry and thirsty. So, when I get to the car I am so excited to see a bottle of cold chocolate milk waiting on me.  When I ask my Dad why he got me milk instead of a sports drink or water he tells me that milk has carbohydrates, proteins, fluids and electrolytes that you need to stay energized.  “Besides,” he says, “chocolate milk is a way better recovery drink than any ol’ sports drink!”  Even professional athletes include chocolate milk in their workout. They include it because it strengthens their muscles and doesn’t keep them as sore the next day. Milk really is a great way to refuel after a long practice. Trust me, I know.

Milk is something I love and try to drink as much as possible. It has nutrients that strengthen my muscles to better help me dance and work. However, some of the people who need milk the most are unable to get it. There are actually 1.1 million people in Tennessee who are food insecure, and this includes 400,000 children. One item that most families request is milk.

On May 31, the Great American Milk Drive began, and for the rest of June, which is dairy month, each 4-H region of Tennessee will compete to donate milk to these families. You can donate by going to Milk Life and entering in your zip code for the area you would like to donate to. Every donation could help someone else get more with milk.

Milk is a great way to stay fit and healthy, and I think it is delicious. You can most definitely get more out of milk. From the nutrients to the prices, milk cannot be beat.  I know that milk helps to strengthen my muscles, teeth and bones. So, it seems that you really can get more with milk.