Dairy On My Plate

When I was younger and learning about eating well, I learned about the Food Pyramid, a pyramid shaped guide of healthy foods divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. In 2011 the Food Pyramid was replaced by My Plate, the current  nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture, depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. Three servings of dairy was part of the Food Pyramid and continues to be a part of My Plate.

Why am I telling you something you may already know? This week an article has appeared on NBC News.com where Dr. David Ludwig, a Harvard pediatrician, argues against the need for 3 servings of dairy in the diet. He specifically calls out flavored milk and yogurts and cites that people can get adequate calcium intake from a variety of other foods in the diet, specifically leafy greens. Both Dr. Greg Miller of National Dairy Council and Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, a certified nutrition specialist and NBC News and diet and health editor, present a more balanced approach. 

As for me and my family, we will continue to choose 3 Every Day to improve our overall diet, get more nutrients and improve bone health. Dairy will always be on My Plate.

I encourage you to read M Is For Milk and N Is For Nine to help you form your own decision on this topic. We may not all agree, but lets agree to be informed before making a decision on this topic.