A simple, quick and tasty way to increase your consumption of milk and alternatives is to include yogurt in your menu. It might be time to rediscover it!
According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, the rate of youth obesity has tripled in the past 25 years and 26% of children between the ages of 2 and 17 are considered obese or overweight. Among adults, the picture is not much better: 61% of Canadian adults are overweight.
In this Nutrition Month, whose slogan is "A Winning Recipe: Plan, Buy, Cook, Savor", it is important to look at our eating habits and find the best ways to alter the course of these disturbing statistics.
Since the beginning of March, we have been encouraged to make sensible choices at the grocery store, to include more fruits and vegetables on our plate, to eat whole grains, to increase our fish consumption, to cook more, etc. But where to start?
As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I encourage people to gradually change the contents of their plate, setting only one goal at a time. Although the population is increasinglyaware of the benefits of a balanced diet and that everyone knows the benefits of eating he althier, many foods are still under-consumed, the most neglected of which are dairy products. Supporting statistics, two-thirds of Canadians do not consume the recommended daily intake of dairy products. Another worrying fact when you consider that each food group is an essential pillar for our he alth.
The pleasure of daily yogurt
No matter which brand of yogurt you choose, no matter how you consume it, and no matter your age, take or regain pleasure in enjoying yogurt daily.
Yogurt, there's something for everyone and for every occasion. It is also a practical food, which can accompany us everywhere and be enjoyed at any time and in many ways throughout the day, as a snack or integrated into your meal. For example, top pancakes, waffles and fruit with yogurt, replace sour cream with plain yogurt, make dressings and creamy dips with Greek yogurt, replace part of the fat in recipes with yogurt, prepare homemade frozen yogurt by combining yogurt and frozen fruit. What other food can claim to be so versatile?
The benefits of yogurt
Yogurt contains more than ten important nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Some yogurts contain probiotics,beneficial microorganisms, which promote good intestinal he alth. Even more, Greek yogurt contains twice as much protein, which makes it a very filling food. And since yogurt naturally contains active bacteria that help digest lactose, it's usually a well-tolerated food, even by people who are lactose intolerant.
In addition to promoting good bone he alth, the sufficient consumption of dairy products would contribute to the achievement and maintenance of a he althy weight, as well as to the prevention, in particular, of colon cancer. As part of a he althy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, dairy products would also help reduce blood pressure.
With such a wide variety and so many options available, consuming one yogurt a day can help fill our daily intake of milk and substitutes, while increasing our pleasure and he alth capital.
Bon appetit!
