The Importance of Milk with Michelle Dudash, RDN

Yea! Today is my first official day of summer break! Yes I admit it, I am doing the happy dance! While I love teaching (I just wrapped up my 17th year of teaching), and I love spending my days with students – especially those 6th graders, I enjoy my down time. Summer for me is a time to relax with family and friends and to tackle some of my bigger projects around the house.

As every teacher knows – summer can also bring the dreaded “Summer Slide” a time where kids put a lot of distance between themselves and learning, consequently many skills learned during the school year take a dip. But have you ever thought about how that Summer Slide can be impacting more than reading and math skills? For many struggling families it also means they lose access to free or reduced-price lunch programs including milk while schools are closed for the summer.

I was happy to speak with Michelle Dudash a registered dietician, mom, and author of Clean Eating for Busy Families on how we can help. In the following interview Michelle shares with us the importance of milk in children’s diets along with some great summer snack and meal ideas that are clean, fresh, and fast!

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq_BjJrxNXE

Honestly, I am not a big milk drinker. But with six kids you better believe that we go through gallons of milk a week! It is what my children remind me of the most to buy at the grocery store. And when we run out? You inevitably hear a loud and grumbling,”We are out of milk!?!” coming from one of them standing in front of the open-doored refrigerator.

Milk is important with 8 grams of high quality protein per serving kids benefit when milk is part of their healthy diet. It helps keep my kids healthy, happy, and a bit goofy!

So how can you help? Visit the Great American Milk Drive at milklife.com today and for every $5.00 donation – which provides a gallon of milk for a family – Milk Life will match the donation. That means you $5 will give a family two gallons of milk! The matching is today, Tuesday, June 16!

Plus there are some delicious looking recipes on milklife.com! I am looking forward to trying their Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese as well as the Homemade Clam Chowder! Yum!

While I am spending my first day of summer blogging and cleaning my home, my friend and fellow teacher, Mary, is spending her first day of summer break at a dairy farm!