Nutrition Notes: National Dairy Month

June is National Dairy Month. Dairy includes milk and its products like yogurt, cheese, cream and sour cream. Milk, yogurt and cheese are excellent sources of calcium, protein, riboflavin, vitamins A, B12 and D, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Try choosing unsweetened and low-fat, skim, part-skim or fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese, cream cheese and sour cream to reduce the amount of sugar and fat we eat. Also, buy cheese with lower sodium content. Lactose-free milk and reduced-lactose milk is widely available for those who are sensitive to lactose.Click here to learn how to store dairy safely.A fruit and yogurt parfait is a perfect and easy way to celebrate National Dairy Month, don't you think?_________________________________________________________________________Recipe: Peachy ParfaitPreparation time: 10 minutes Number of servings: 1Ingredients:- ½ cup peaches or your favorite fruit - washed, pitted and diced- ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt- 2 to 3 mejdool dates - pitted, soaked in warm water and puréed- 1 tbsp toasted nuts or granola- A pinch of cinnamon powder (optional)Directions:1. Toss the cinnamon powder with the peaches.2. Mix the date puree with the Greek yogurt.3. To serve, start with a layer of yogurt in a serving bowl.4. Next, add a layer of peaches and nuts or granola.5. Repeat this to get 2 layers each of yogurt, fruit and nuts/granola.References:1. http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/dietary- guidelines-and-myplate/dont-forget-the-dairy