Tips on increasing your dairy intake

If you suspect that your diet does not include enough dairy products, here are some suggestions for increasing your intake each day.

Try to choose low- or reduced-fat varieties so that you do not increase your intake of unhealthy saturated fats.

Dairy at breakfast

• cereal with semi-skimmed milk
• fresh or dried fruit topped with low-fat plain or fruit yogurt
• porridge prepared with semi-skimmed milk instead of water - Rice porridge recipe
• a fruit smoothie made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk or with low-fat yogurt (see Benefits of different fruits)

Dairy at lunch

• Have a glass of chocolate-flavoured semi-skimmed milk.
• Grab a sandwich of lower fat Edam cheese on whole-grain bread - try a light version of the Reuben sandwich.
• Enjoy low-fat cottage cheese with sliced peaches or pears on top.
• Make a mini pizza topped with reduced-fat mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh broccoli or mixed peppers, or try our Pizza Florentina.
• Have a toasted cheese sandwich made with reduced-fat Cheddar.
• Fill a wrap with reduced-fat feta cheese, grilled peppers and onions, and tomatoes, or try out Smoked trout and goat's cheese wraps.

Dairy at dinner

• Sprinkle grated lower fat cheese over your salad or soup.
• Make macaroni or cauliflower cheese using skimmed milk in the sauce - Macaroni cheese.
• Have a baked sweet potato topped with low-fat cottage cheese and steamed broccoli florets.

Dairy for snacks

• low-fat plain yogurt mixed with fresh or dried fruit
• low-fat frozen yogurt
• oatcakes or a toasted bagel half spread with reduced-fat soft cheese

Adapting to lower fat dairy foods

• Start by mixing 50 per cent whole milk and 50 per cent semi-skimmed. Then gradually reduce the whole milk and increase the semi-skimmed content.
• When you are used to semi-skimmed milk, repeat the process with semi-skimmed and skimmed milks until you are drinking only skimmed milk.
• Use evaporated skimmed milk or fat-free fromage frais instead of cream in soups, sauces, and puddings.
• Substitute low-fat plain yogurt or fat-free Greek-style yogurt for soured cream.
• When making lasagne, substitute fat-free Quark for ricotta.

Lisa Hark, PhD RD & Dr Darwin Deen

Nutrition for Life Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley Text copyright © 2005 Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen

Posted 14.02.2011

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