I was driving to a farm visit, and any time spent in my car I am tuned into the local National Public Radio (NPR) station. That day, the talk show was about new diet trends. Two dietitians were the guest experts, and soon the show started focusing on healthy foods that contained high fat.
I thought, oh boy, here comes some love for dairy products! But, during this segment, they didn’t mention any dairy foods. Instead, they focused on avocados, eggs, nuts, and a couple other foods.
That’s when I heard the number to call in, and before I knew it, I was talking to the producer as she coached me through what to do when I was on air. “Tell the host thank you for taking my call, don’t say good morning, and make sure your radio is turned off.” Okay, check, check, and check.
Honestly, I probably should have turned my car off too because by this point I was pretty nervous. The producer put me through to the show, and I could hear the host and guests through my phone. It wasn’t much longer and the host introduced me and asked what I had to say. Of course I said, “Thank you for taking my call,” and then went into my promotional spiel for dairy.
“My comment is about healthy foods that contain high fat. I think dairy products are a food in this category that don’t get the recognition they deserve. Whether you enjoy whole milk, cheese, butter, or yogurt, you are getting a certain percentage of that healthy fat coupled with nine essential nutrients. The dietitians also mentioned earlier on the show that fat is needed by the body to absorb many of our nutrients. So, milk seems like a pretty awesome option!”
I also went on to say that I am not a big breakfast eater, but I can handle a glass of chocolate milk in the morning, and it helps me feel full and energized until later in the day.
Of course, it didn’t sound this polished on air. But after I hung up, I did get the dietitians and the host talking about dairy products. One of the dietitians even replied, “I am very happy Christy brought that up because I am a big advocate for dairy in the diet.”
Christy Achen is the 2018 Hoard's Dairyman summer editorial intern. She grew up on a dairy farm in southwest Kansas. Achen is currently a senior at Utah State University studying agricultural communications and journalism.
Join us on August 13, 2018, for our webinar "What's different about Jerseys . . . and what's not" presented by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois
Sponsored by Custom Dairy Performance / KTG North America
Hutjens will discuss guidelines and opportunities for Jersey herds based on the results of a thorough study of the top cheese yielding Jersey herds in the country. The impact of herd size, milk yield, use of BST, and mixed breed versus Jersey-only farms will be evaluated.
