- Include dairy in your morning meal. Enjoy a bowl of unsweetened cereal with low-fat or fat-free dairy milk or calcium-fortified soy milk.
- Top plain, low-fat or fat-free yogurt with fruit and sliced almonds.
- Drink up! Grab a glass of milk. A cup of low-fat or fat-free dairy milk, calcium-fortified soy milk or kefir is an easy and healthy snack.
- Cook or prepare foods with dairy. Prepare oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free dairy milk or calcium-fortified soy milk instead of water.
- Use low-fat milk or soy milk to make smoothies, egg dishes, or mashed potatoes.
- Make canned condensed soups with low-fat milk instead of water.
- Create your own salad dressings or dips for vegetables. Blend plain low-fat or fat-free dairy yogurt with lemon juice and dried or fresh herbs, like basil and parsley.
- Snack on homemade cheese spread. Blend low-fat cottage cheese with herbs, such as oregano and dill, and sprinkle on some chopped green onions. Serve with whole grain crackers.
- Add leafy green vegetables, like kale, spinach, or collard greens to soups and pasta dishes.
- Be a detective at the grocery store! Check out Nutrition Fact Labels to find other foods fortified with calcium like breads, juices, tofu, and other soy products.
Kefir is a fermented milk drink made by adding kefir grains (a culture of bacteria and yeast) to milk, resulting in a tangy, slightly fizzy beverage. It is similar in consistency to drinkable yogurt.
Cool Cucumber Yogurt Dip
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup broccoli florets
Directions:
- Place the yogurt and sour cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds by scraping them out with a spoon. Grate one half of the cucumber until you have ½ cup grated cucumber. Reserve the remaining cucumber. Place the grated cucumber in the mixing bowl with the yogurt and sour cream.
- Add lemon juice, garlic powder, dried dill weed, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Cover the dip and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. Stir again just before using.
- Cut the remaining cucumber into ¼ inch slices. Arrange the cucumber slices, baby carrots, and broccoli florets on a platter. Serve with the Cool Cucumber Yogurt Dip.
Carrot Pancakes
Makes 15 pancakes
3 pancakes/150 calories
Ingredients:
½ cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup grated carrots
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup nonfat or 1% milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
- Mix oatmeal and buttermilk and set aside.
- Peel and grate carrots.
- Add egg, oil, milk, and vanilla extract to the oatmeal mixture; beat well. Stir in the grated carrot.
- Measure dry ingredients and stir into the wet ingredients until batter is fairly smooth. Add more milk if too thick.
- Lightly spray a large skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle.
- Cook until pancakes are puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.
Top with applesauce, fresh fruit, or yogurt.
Banana Pops
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 pop
1 pop = 165 calories
Ingredients:
1 package (3.4 ounce) instant banana pudding mix
2 cups skim milk
1 banana, cut into pieces
Directions:
- Combine pudding mix and milk.
- Add cut up banana into pudding and blend evenly.
- Spoon enough pudding mixture into small, paper cups to fill 2/3 full.
- Tap cups lightly on counter to remove air pockets.
- Insert plastic spoon or Popsicle stick into center of each pudding cup.
- Freeze until firm and enjoy!
MORE DETAILS
Interested in free nutrition education classes with Ohio State University Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program? Contact Nancy Lyons at lyons.489@osu.edu or 937-205-5250.
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