Milk: The original power drink

Milk has been a staple in the American diet for decades. There are over 9 million dairy cows in the United States, and Texas is home to around 500,000 dairy cows. In 2019 Texas dairy cows produced 12.6 billion pounds of milk! Texas is ranked 5th in the nation for milk production, and around 70 percent of dairy operations in the state are located in the Panhandle.

Milk provides many health benefits and is great for improving bone health. In fact, one eight-ounce cup of milk can provide 25% of your daily calcium requirement. One eight-ounce cup of milk also fulfills 16% of your daily protein requirement, 50% of your daily Vitamin B12 requirement, and 15% of both Vitamin A & D daily requirements.

In total, milk provides 9 essential nutrients that are beneficial to health including calcium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, protein, vitamins, riboflavin, and niacin.

The average American drinks nearly 140 pounds of fluid milk each year. How do you enjoy milk? Milk can be incorporated into your diet in more than just your bowl of breakfast cereal. Try milk in overnight oats or blended with berries and yogurt in a smoothie. AgriLife Extension’s Dinner Tonight has developed great recipes that include milk like Bethany’s Skillet Chicken and Rice Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, and Simple Breakfast Smoothie. To find more nutritious recipes that include milk, visit dinnertonight.tamu.edu/.