Growing up as a dairy kid, I was offered two options at every meal — to drink either milk or water. For a long time, I thought that those were the only two options because we’re a dairy farming family. After moving out for the first time and gaining a greater understanding of the world, I quickly realized that the reason my parents did this goes beyond just the principle of us being dairy farmers.
Milk offers an extensive list of benefits for anyone that drinks it. With a glass full of vitamins and minerals, there isn’t another product that comes close to providing the natural source of nutrients that a simple glass of milk does.
There are 13 essential vitamins and minerals that one 8-ounce glass of milk provides,
which includes protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), cobalamin (vitamin B12), iodine, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Many of these nutrients are critical for growth and development, particularly in young children.
As calcium is known to help with growth, specifically bone growth, dairy is an essential part of anyone’s diet. Milk is a rich source of calcium, which is evident in that the amount of calcium in one glass of milk is equal to the amount of calcium in 12 cups of raw kale. As a kid, it was a tough job getting me to touch a carrot, much less kale.
The naturally occurring benefits that come from milk are plentiful, but the consumption of milk is often scrutinized for not being “healthy enough” to sustain the common person’s lifestyle. The long list of benefits that fit within one glass of milk confirm it to be both nutritious and delicious, at least it does in my book.
Everyone has a different list of goals and preferences that they hope to achieve, but I know that myself and several others out there will always support the classic claim that “Milk does a body good.”
Milk has always been a constant staple in my life, even before I understood all the benefits it contains. There are many uncertain aspects of the dairy industry, but there’s one part that will remain consistent: There will always be at least one gallon of whole milk in my fridge, no questions asked.
Morgan Oliveira was the 2024 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She grew up working on her family’s dairy farm near Hilmar, Calif. As a student at Cal Poly University, Oliveira is majoring in agriculture communications.