This celebration originated as a grocery milk promotion in 1937. We now recognize this time to remember all of the health benefits dairy products provide. Of course dairy contains calcium. It also includes important nutrients like potassium, vitamin A and D, and protein. Your can start your day right with nutrient-rich dairy to reduce the risk of things like blood pressure, and osteoporosis.
There’s more to milk. Milk is also consumed as cheese, butter, or yogurt. The United States produces 29% of the world’s cheese. India is the top producer of butter. Yogurt is one of the most widely consumed dairy products in the world. In 2016, U.S. yogurt production was 2.02 million metric tons.
All foods in the dairy group contain calcium – a mineral that is essential for building and sustaining strong bones and teeth, regulating blood pressure, and is also crucial for the nervous system.
It takes about 2 days for a cow to turn grass into milk. Depending on the breed, a cow can produce 25 to 40 liters of milk per day. In one week a cow could fill 9 bathtubs full of milk!
