Dairy month

June is Dairy Month.

The Dairy group includes foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding made with milk, and ice cream. 

Can't tolerate milk because of lactose intolerance? Try lactose-free milk, soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk. Make sure they are fortified with calcium or a calcium supplement may be necessary because some of the other type of milk have less calcium. Try small amount of cheese or yogurt to get some of the calcium you need.

Can have milk because of an allergy? Try soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk. Make sure they are fortified with calcium or a calcium supplement may be necessary because some of the other milks have less calcium. An allergy is different than lactose intolerance because those with allergies cannot usually tolerate a small amount, like those with lactose intolerance. You may need to eat other foods with calcium (such as spinach) or increase calcium-fortified foods (such as orange juice).

Calcium amounts:

• 1 cup of milk has about 300 mg of calcium
• 1.5 ounces, 1/3 cup shredded, or 2 slices of cheese has between 200-450 mg of calcium
• 1 cup of yogurt has between 275 and 450 mg of calcium
• 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt or ice cream has between 70 and 100 mg of calcium
• 1 cup of spinach has about 240 mg of calcium
•  1 cup of cottage cheese has about 130 mg of calcium
• 1 cup of broccoli has about 180 mg of calcium
• 8 ounces of calcium-fortified orange juice has about 300 mg of calcium
• 1 cup of pinto, white, or garbanzo beans has about 75 mg of calcium
• Calcium-fortified cereals may have 250 or more mg of calcium
• Calcium-fortified bread may have 150 or more mg of calcium
• Mackerel, salmon with bones, or sardines may have 200 or more mg of calcium
• Some types of instant oatmeal may have 100+ mg of calcium

If you aren't sure of the calcium amounts in other foods, calcium is listed on the food label. To find out how many milligrams, add one zero to the end of the percentage listed for that serving. For instance, if a food has 15% of the DV for calcium, it has about 150 milligrams.

 Vitamin D is important to help the body absorb calcium, so make sure you are combining the two when you eat or if you take a supplement. 

Calcium is the most common mineral in the body, with about 99% in bones and teeth. Calcium recommendations are:

•  Infants:  200 - 260 mg/daily
• Children age 1-2: 700 mg/daily
• Children age 4-8: 1,000 mg/daily
• Children age 9-13: 1,300 mg/daily
• Adolescents age 14-18: 1,300 mg/daily
• Adults age 19-70: 1,000 mg/daily
• Adults age 71+: 1,200 mg/daily
• Pregnant/breastfeeding teens age 14-18: 1,300 mg/daily
• Pregnant/breastfeeding adults age 19+: 1,000 mg/daily

There are no differences in the recommendations for men and women, the recommendations only vary by age.

For more information about the dairy group, check out the MyPlate Dairy group webpage.