Importance of Milk

Milk, it does a body good. Surely, you've heard the slogan, popularized in ads from the National Dairy Council. And true enough, the nutrients in milk and milk-based foods help to build strong bones and teeth, regulate muscle and nerve activity, maintain blood pressure and provide your body with a source of energy, among many other important roles, the Dairy Council reports. In fact, independent nutrition experts agree that milk contains several essential vitamins and minerals and can serve as a low-calorie, low-fat choice when you follow a health diet.

Nutrient Content

Milk and milk products contain many of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to maintain a strong and healthy body. Its most well-known nutrient is calcium, with 30 percent of the recommended daily value in a 1 cup serving of fat-free milk, the National Dairy Council reports. For each 8 oz. glass, you also get 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and phosphorus, 26 percent of the daily value for riboflavin, 22 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-12, 16 percent for protein, 11 percent for potassium and 10 percent for vitamin A and niacin. Your body needs these nutrients for a multitude of vital functions. Calcium, for example, promotes strong bones and teeth and also is needed for muscle contraction, blood clotting and nerve function. Meanwhile, vitamin A boosts your immune system and helps with cell growth.

Nutrition Information

The exact fat and calorie content of your milk depends on the type you drink. You will find several varieties at the store, the most common being whole, 2 percent, 1 percent and skim, or nonfat, milk. The calorie and fat content of milk varies widely depending on which kind you drink. For example, 8 oz. of skim milk contains no fat and has 90 calories, while whole milk has 8 g of fat and 150 calories per 8 oz. serving. While adults and children older than 5 should choose low-fat milk, young children need the extra fat and calories because of the needs of their growing bodies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends whole milk for 1-year-olds, then switching to 2 percent once your child is 2. By the time your child is 5, it's safe to switch over to 1 percent or no-fat milk.

How Much Milk Do You Need?

The amount of milk and milk products you should consume each day depends on how old you are. Two- and 3-year-olds should get 2 cups per day, while children ages 4 to 8 need 2.5 cups each day, according to the government's MyPlate healthy-eating guidelines, which replaced the well-known Food Guide Pyramid in 2011. Adults and children 9 and older need 3 cups of dairy foods each day. Keep in mind that many foods, not just plain old milk, can meet these needs.

What Constitutes a Serving of Dairy?

When trying to figure how much dairy you eat each day, you'll need to know what constitutes a serving of milk and how you can meet your daily goal. For milk itself, 1 cup meets 1 cup of the 3-cup daily intake recommendation for adults. Other foods that amount to 1 cup of milk include 8 oz. of yogurt, 1 cup of calcium-fortified soy milk, a 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 2 cups of cottage cheese, 1.5 oz. of hard cheese such as cheddar, Swiss or mozzarella, 1/3 cup of shredded cheese, 1.5 cups of ice cream, 1 cup of frozen yogurt or 1 cup of milk-based pudding, MyPlate.gov reports. For the healthiest choices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture urges people to look for no-fat or low-fat milk and milk products, so you get the health benefits without the extra fat and calories.