The National Dairy Council is turning 100 this year. We’re celebrating with 100 things we love about dairy. The October list has arrived, and if you can’t tell, we love dairy so much it’s “scary.” See the first two blogs in the series, from January and June.
51. Dairy cows are number one. Cows provide 85 percent of the entire world’s milk supply, followed by buffalo (11%) and goat (3.4%).
52. It’s called “sundae” for a reason. Rumor has it ice cream sundaes were invented by drug store owners who were prohibited by blue laws from selling ice cream sodas on Sundays. Interestingly, more ice cream is sold on Sunday than on any other day of the week.
53. Dairy fights hunger. No, we don’t just mean milk makes a great midnight snack; milk is one of the top requested items in food banks, and the Great American Milk Drive is helping fill that need. Join the fight.
54. Good gut feelings. Yogurt with live and active cultures is full of probiotics–a.k.a. the good bacteria your body needs to digest things and maintain a strong immune system.
55. Dairy brings families together. Not just around the table, but around the farm 95 percent of America’s dairy farms are family-owned, and as veteran farmer Donny Chapman says, “One of the best parts about working on the farm is working with our family.” Meet the Chapman Family.
56. There are 300 varieties of cheese sold in the United States. That means you could try a different kind of cheese every day for eight months.
57. Good on your omelet. Contrary to popular belief, eggs are not a dairy food. But there’s nothing like a fluffy omelet stuffed with cheese. Get our Ham, Cheese-N-Egg Recipe.
58. Dairy makes you crafty. Recycled milk jugs and cartons make great raw materials for cool crafts. See our crafts.
59. Cows are music lovers. Do you work better with your favorite tunes playing? Cows do. Studies show they make more milk when they listen to moosic. Listen to our kid-friendly tunes on Spotify.
60. Where there’s a will, there’s a whey. Whey is a high quality, complete protein found in dairy, and it has a whole host of health benefits, especially for athletes. Learn more about whey.
61. Natural blonde. The natural yellow color of butter comes mainly from the beta-Carotene found in the grass cows eat.
62. You can express your love for cheese like a sophisticated scholar. “Carpe caseus” is Latin for “seize the cheese.”
63. One cow. One day. Thirty-seven people. A single dairy cow can produce enough milk in one day for 37 people to get their three recommended servings. Find out how much dairy you should eat and drink.
64. Dairy helps prevent cavities. The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends cheese as a cavity-fighting snack – so after a sweet treat, make sure you snack on some cheddar cubes.
65. Dairy builds healthy schools. Dairy MAX helps get schools excited about healthy eating and physical activity with programs like Fuel Up to Play 60 and Dairy Dollars for Schools.
66. Dairy takes the pressure off. One glass of milk has 30 percent of your daily value of calcium, which not only builds strong bones; it also helps promote healthy blood pressure. Get the low-down on dairy nutrition.
67. Chocolate milk is the sports drink nature intended. Milk has natural protein and electrolytes, and the chocolate creates the ideal carbs-to-protein ratio for post workout recovery. Learn why (and how) to refuel with chocolate milk.
68. Hits the spot with a PB&J. Nothing cuts through a throat full of peanut butter like a cool and creamy swallow of milk.
69. Cows have super strong noses. They can smell things up to 6 miles away.
70. The puns. Why be gouda when you can brie grate?
71. Like a Latte. How you get your first serving of milk and your caffeine fix simultaneously.
72. Parfaits. The healthy yogurt breakfast (or snack!) that seems like a dessert. Find out how to build the perfect parfait.
73. Pizza, anyone? The average American eats 46 slices of pizza a year. Get our Garden Veggie Pizza recipe.
74. Cottage cheese. It has a quaint name, it’s full of protein, and it’s sorefreshing with fruit.
75. Cheesecake. One day, someone looked at a block of cream cheese and said, “This should be cake.” And history was made that day.
