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June
15, 2006
My first college roommate was a little ahead of her time, nutritionwise. Back then I thought her dietary habits were a bit peculiar. Every Sunday she’d mix powdered milk and water, warming it slightly on the stove. Then she’d add a couple scoops of plain yogurt and place the concoction in small containers in a “mini-incubator.” By the next day, her home-made yogurt was ready to eat. She ate yogurt every day. I wasn’t used to this. Despite enjoying some truly unusual Scandinavian delicacies, my family thought yogurt was inedible. They acknowledged it was a “health food,” but they referred to it as “clotted milk.” That didn’t whet my appetite for the stuff. We were just under the “yogurt norm” for families at the time. In the 1970s, the average American ate the equivalent of three 4-ounce containers a year. Times have changed. By the 1990s, the average American ate about 17 4-ounce containers annually. Today the average American laps up about 20 4-ounce containers annually. Yogurt is available in many forms and flavors. Consumers can choose yogurt that is creamy, whipped, with fruit on the bottom, fruit throughout, nonfat, sugar-free, in beverages and in kid-friendly tubes. Adding some “culture” to your menu is good for you. While many types of bacteria can make us ill, true yogurt in the U.S. contains two “good bacteria” strains: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. These live bacteria are termed "probiotics," meaning "for life." While bacteria may be inactivated in the acidity of the stomach, some probiotics can survive and compete with disease-causing microorganisms in the gut. Therefore, eating more yogurt may boost the immune system and help with digestion. Yogurt is good for your bones, with an average of 400 milligrams of calcium per cup. That’s more than the 300 milligrams in a cup of fat-free milk. People with lactose intolerance often can consume yogurt without the stomach upset some get from drinking milk. The bacteria in yogurt “ferment” or digest milk sugar or lactose. Maintaining strong bones also requires vitamin D. Some brands of yogurt contain vitamin D, while others don’t. Be a label reader. If you don’t drink milk, be sure to get your vitamin D from other fortified foods, such as some breakfast cereals, or from a multivitamin. Eating more yogurt may help keep your waistline trim, too. Several studies suggest that, along with a reduced-calorie diet, eating at least three servings of dairy foods daily may help with weight management. Bottom line for choosing yogurt: Read food labels for the presence of “live and active cultures.” Compare brands for calories, calcium, vitamin D and added sweeteners. Here’s a tasty and easy dessert recipe from 3-A-Day of Dairy (www.3aday.org). It takes about 10 minutes to make, but your friends will think you worked for hours.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
