Charlyn FargoCopley News Service
Seprod Group says its acquisition of Belvedere Limited is expected to boost production of milk from five million litres to 10 million. Last year, its milk segment was valued at $127.5 million. - file
Go ahead and urge your child to drink milk - even chocolate or strawberry milk. A new study, published in the April Journal of the American Dietetic Association, finds that children who drink milk, either plain or flavoured, tend to have 'superior' overall nutrient intakes compared with children who don't drink milk.
The study, funded by the National Dairy Council, compared nutrient intakes and body measures among 7,557 children and teens drinking flavoured milk, plain white milk or no milk. Those who drank flavoured milk reported higher total milk intakes than children who drank white milk. The Body Mass Index (a reference measuring height and weight) of milk drinkers were comparable or lower than BMI measures of non- milk drinkers.
Researchers from Environ International Corp, the University of Vermont and the National Dairy Council suggest that access to low-fat or non-fat flavoured milk could help children and adolescents meet the recommended intakes of dairy servings. They also recommend children consume more milk products.
"Only about one-third to one-half of American children and adolescent boys consume the number of dairy servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and fewer than one in five adolescent girls meet the recommendation," the researchers said. "Findings from this study suggest that consumption of either flavoured or plain milk is associated with a positive influence on nutrient intakes by children and adolescents and is not associated with adverse effects on BMI measures."
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Winning question
Question: Are commercial spice and herb blends good choices when trying to cut down on salt?
Answer: Check labels, because these blends can vary widely. A quarter teaspoon of salt contains about 580 milligrams of sodium - over a quarter of the recommended maximum for the day (2,300 mg). While some herb or spice blends provide essentially zero sodium, this is not true of all brands. Even within the same brand, sodium content can vary.
One blend may supply from 0 to 45 mg of sodium in a quarter-teaspoon while another packs 150 mg to 180 mg in the same serving size. If you don't see sodium content listed, check the ingredient list. If salt is first or second on the list (as it is for some of these seasonings) you know sodium content will fall at the upper end of the range.
While the sodium content of these products is still lower than that of traditional table salt, many diners tend to use larger amounts. As an alternative, consider using plain herbs and spices that you combine yourself, which may cost less than the commercial mixtures.
- American Institute for Cancer Research
Winning Web
The stamp for products with whole grains is now on food products in Canada, according to the Whole Grains Council (at www.wholegrainscouncil.org). The stamp designates foods containing healthy whole grains. The group also has a new stamp ready to roll out for use on restaurant menus.
Winning recipe
Studies show that you reap benefits all day from eating breakfast. A morning meal shifts your body from an energy-conserving state into calorie-burning gear. And studies show that breakfast eaters concentrate better and are more productive as well as less likely to be obese than breakfast-skippers. It's sometimes challenging to find healthy breakfast-on-the-go items. This recipe for blueberry and green tea smoothie, from Prevention magazine, offers a dose of antioxidants and can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
Blue berry and green tea smoothie
3/4 cup water
2 green tea bags
2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 ice cubes
12 ounces fat-free vanilla
yoghurt
2 tablespoons whole, dry
roasted, unsalted almonds
(about 20)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed.
Yields 2 (2-cup) servings.
Bring water to a boil and pour over tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Squeeze and remove tea bags and discard. Chill tea overnight. If using fresh blueberries, place in freezer overnight. Place tea, blueberries, ice, yoghurt, almonds and flaxseed in blender. Process until smooth.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 334 calories, 13 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 8.5 g fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 7 g fibre, 121 mg sodium.
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