The majority of people out there know that dairy is an important food group that contains a number of nutrients that help you to lead a healthier lifestyle, but how does dairy benefit our growing children and is it essential for them to have access to dairy products such as milk?
The main nutrient contained within milk that most people know about, is calcium. Calcium aids the growth of strong bones and as children and teens are at a time where they are growing into their bodies you don’t have to look hard to see the benefits that calcium can present to children. Additionally, there are a number of other benefits that come from drinking more milk. There have been a countless studies over the years but here are a few key findings that you may or may not already know about.
Children who drink milk on a regular basis are generally fitter in old age.
Milk aids the blood to clot and this reduces the chance of people suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure in the later years.
So it is clear that there are benefits to children having milk as part of their regular diet. In fact, the British government implemented the Nursery Milk Scheme some years ago to ensure that children under the age of 5 and in some form of day care are eligible to receive free milk. Furthermore, milk is now one of the few drinks available in schools as part of new efforts to ensure that schools are providing their pupils with fit and healthy meals. Gone are the days when you could walk into the canteen and stock up on all the burgers, chips and fizzy drinks that your heart desired.
Just by drinking a few glasses of milk each day it is evident that a child can lead a healthier lifestyle. As a result it is important that schools offer milk to their pupils as well as a number of other dairy products such as cheese and eggs as these two contain the necessary nutrients to help children grow and lead a healthier lifestyle. After all, they are going to need as much energy as possible in the classroom after running around the school playground at lunch.