Nutrition Needs Grab and Go Lesson
Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt
Nutrients in Milk and Milk Products
Milk and milk products provide
• calcium,
• protein,
• riboflavin,
• vitamins A and D,
• phosphorus, and
• other nutrients.
Young children need calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Their bodies also
need calcium and protein for strong muscles. Lowfat and fatfree milk provide just as much calcium as whole milk with
less fat and fewer calories.
The CACFP Meal Pattern
Milk refers to any kind of fluid milk, including fat-free,
lowfat, reduced-fat, and whole unflavored milk. Flavored
milk, buttermilk, lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk, and
acidophilus milk are other choices.
Fluid milk is the only milk choice allowed in the Child and
Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Meal Pattern. Milk
products such as cheese and yogurt are counted as meat
alternate choices in the CACFP Meal Patterns. You may have
noticed that the milk group on MyPyramid includes cheese
and yogurt.
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Nutrition Needs Grab and Go Lesson
Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt
When serving cheese and yogurt as a meat alternate choose
lowfat or fat-free yogurt or cheese to help reduce the level of fat
in child care menus. Add pureed fruit to plain yogurt rather than
sweeteners, artificial flavorings, and starch.
    
Recommendations for Children
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 states most
people need more calcium.
• Children 2 to 8 years old should get 2 cups per day of
fat-free or lowfat milk or equivalent milk products.
• Children 9 years of age and older should get 3 cups
per day of fat-free or lowfat milk or equivalent milk
products.
Infants and Young Children
Serve breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula to
children until they are 1 year old. Serve whole milk to children ages 1 to 2 years
old. After 2 years of age children may be served lower fat milk.
When Children Can’t Drink Milk
Some children have allergies to the protein in milk and cannot have milk or milk
products in their diets. Some children cannot digest the natural sugar in milk.
They do not have enough of the enzyme that helps to digest lactose (milk sugar).
These children may need to have special milk or soy beverage or another calciumfortified beverage to substitute for milk in their meal plans. Contact your state
agency or sponsor for more information on milk substitutions.
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