Milk nutrition facts for World Milk Day
World Milk Day is all about celebrating the goodness in milk, and we’ve got some milk nutrition facts to do just that.
World Milk Day began in 2001 when the United Nations recognised milk as a global food and declared that June 1st would be the day to celebrate it. Since then, millions of people have celebrated milk, the farmers who produce it and the people who enjoy it in our communities, schools and homes.
Why is milk so great?
*New Zealand Food Composition Database. 2022. The Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables, 14th Edition 2021. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited and Ministry of Health www.foodcomposition.co.nz/concise-tables/
- It’s not just your bones that benefit from the calcium and phosphorus in milk - it also supports healthy teeth.
- To get the same amount of calcium as one 250ml glass of full-fat milk you would have to eat:
- 9 cups of raw spinach, or
- 10 cups of raw broccoli, or
- Half a cup of tinned sardines, or
- over half a cup of whole almonds
- Milk protein concentrate (extracted from whole milk) is used in a range of products in hospitals and health care facilities to help nourish and rehabilitate patients, so they can get the goodness of dairy nutrition with less volume.
- Milk is not only a great source of calcium. It also contains protein, phosphorous and B vitamins.
- Did you know the protein in milk is made up of two types – whey and casein. Together these proteins provide all the essential amino acids our bodies need for our diet, making milk a high quality protein.
- Milk is a source of several B vitamins, which help reduce tiredness and fatigue and keep our energy levels up.
- The New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends New Zealand adults eat at least 2 serves of dairy products every day.
References:
- New Zealand Food Composition Database. 2022. The Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables, 14th Edition 2021. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited and Ministry of Health www.foodcomposition.co.nz/concise-tables/
Paddy Rankin (6). Photo credit: Trish Rankin