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Child Nutrition

• Q: My child’s school has instituted Meatless Mondays. Now one group of parents wants to remove cheese from the menu on that day, too. Is this a good idea?
• Q: With school starting, I’m back to packing lunch for my daughter in preschool. In September it’s still warm outside. How can I make sure her mid-day meal is healthy and cold?
• Q: Now that summer is here, my kids are playing outside more, getting hotter and sweatier. Should I have sports drinks available for them for quick hydration?
• Q: My children play sports and there are all types of drinks available that promote better athletic performance. What are power drinks and are they okay for kids?
• Q: I’m aware that eating certain fats may lead to heart disease and am buying foods that are labeled “no trans fat.” Should I eliminate saturated fats from my diet too?
• Q: I often have a belly bulge that makes zipping into my pants difficult and occasionally causes physical discomfort. Some days are worse than others, so I think I’m just bloated. Besides reducing my sodium and intake of salty foods, are there any foods that can help me get rid of a puffy midsection?
• Q: My New Year’s resolution is to lower my blood cholesterol level. Since heart disease runs in my family, should I also be concerned about my children’s cholesterol?
• Q: I’m always trying to drop a few pounds and am concerned that I may be giving the wrong messages to my children about food and weight. How much influence do mothers really have on their daughter’s food habits?
• Q: Which is better for my child: a school lunch or a packed lunch from home?
• Q: There is a book for parents on the best-seller list that explains how to grind up and hide some foods in other foods without children knowing about it. Do tricks belong at the dinner table?
• Q: My two boys need to be at soccer practice by 6 p.m. several times a week, but I don’t get out of work until 5 p.m. Do you have any suggestions for kids’ snacks I can pick up on the way?
• Q: My child’s pediatrician advised that kids should be getting much more vitamin D. What necessitated the change?
• Q: My daughter’s school has a wellness program. I’ve seen changes in the lunch menu to offer more nutritious foods and only healthy beverages like milk available in vending machines. How can I, as a parent, be involved in this movement to help kids in her school eat better?
• Q: There’s been lots of questions as to what causes autism. I’ve heard that dairy foods can cause or aggravate autism in children. Is there any scientific research about this?
• Q: I have a one-year old daughter and while she is not overweight, I don’t want her to be part of the childhood obesity problem. I have struggled with my weight most of my life. What should I do nutritionally to ensure she doesn’t face the same struggles?

Dairy Farming

• Q: I recently saw a news report that said meat and dairy production is bad for the environment. I don’t want to be a vegan. Are there greener options when I select foods that come from animals?
• Q: The news recently reported that meat and milk from cloned animals may soon appear in our food supply. What is cloned milk and is it safe?
• Q: I have heard that it is better for the environment to “eat local,” which reduces the number of miles food has to be transported to market. Is the dairy industry involved in reducing food miles?
• Q: I recently saw a video of “downed” cows at a California slaughterhouse. Are these animals a threat to the safety of the nation’s food supply?

Dairy Foods

• Q: I am overwhelmed by the variety of yogurt products available on the dairy shelves. How do I choose the best yogurt for my needs?
• Q: I recently heard that milk is an acidifying substance that draws calcium from the bones and can cause osteoporosis. Does excess body acidity contribute to bone loss?
• Q: I make a New Year’s resolution every year for my family to eat healthier but never seem to be able to follow through. How do I succeed in 2012?
• Q: While I enjoy this time to spread holiday cheer, I’m concerned that what I eat over the holidays can contribute to weight gain. And for me it’s not the food – it’s all the wonderful party beverages. Help!
• Q: My child’s school has instituted Meatless Mondays. Now one group of parents wants to remove cheese from the menu on that day, too. Is this a good idea?
• Q: I’m hooked on a reality TV show that chronicles the shopping escapades of folks who collect coupons and the techniques they use to pay practically nothing for hundreds of dollars of purchases. It seems like such an accomplishment, but what’s in their cart doesn’t always seem healthy. What is the best way to use coupons to get good nutrition?
• Q: With school starting, I’m back to packing lunch for my daughter in preschool. In September it’s still warm outside. How can I make sure her mid-day meal is healthy and cold?
• Q: I recently saw a news report that said meat and dairy production is bad for the environment. I don’t want to be a vegan. Are there greener options when I select foods that come from animals?
• Q: I was recently instructed by my physician to limit my sodium intake. Are there cheeses that are low in sodium for persons with hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or heart disease?
• Q: What is fat-free half-and-half?
• Q: When I made pudding using raw milk, my dessert separated and looked and smelled unappetizing. What happened?
• Q: Fancy coffee shop offerings like lattes and mochas can be high in fat and calories. Are there healthier espresso options?
• Q: The label on my yogurt says that one cup supplies 40 percent of the Daily Value for calcium. What does Daily Value mean?
• Q: I see Greek yogurt in my supermarket’s dairy case. Is Greek yogurt nutritionally different from regular yogurt?
• Q: My husband and I live on a dairy farm. He grew up on the farm and usually drinks milk straight from our cows. I was a “city girl” before we married and have kept the habit of buying pasteurized milk from the supermarket. We recently became parents and I am breastfeeding our son but would like help weighing the health benefits and safety concerns of giving our son milk directly from the farm once he becomes a toddler.
• Q: In my store’s dairy case I recently saw milk that had “with added sterols” on the label. What are sterols and what do they do?
• Q: In the hot weather I love a cold dairy treat and often choose frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Is frozen yogurt healthier than ice cream? And is frozen yogurt as good for you as regular fat-free yogurt?
• Q: I no longer eat meat but still enjoy cheese as a major protein source. I’ve heard cheese-making requires an enzyme from calves. Is this true?
• Q: My son is lactose intolerant, and he and I are traveling overseas. I need to transport lactose-free milk for him. Unfortunately, no one is making lactose-free milk in the shelf-stable non-refrigerated packages, so I have to store his milk in a container to take on the plane. What is the best/safest way for taking milk with us?
• Q: I have lactose intolerance and was advised by friends to switch to goat’s milk. I’ve also heard that other milks can be substitutes for a cow’s milk allergy. Can these products help?

Flavored Milk

• Q: Trying to cut sugar in cafeteria meals, my school district is considering eliminating flavored milk from the lunch menu. My son only drinks chocolate milk. I’m afraid he won’t drink any milk at school. Should I be concerned?
• Q: My son loves chocolate milk but I’m concerned it has too much sugar and can lead to obesity. Do sugary drinks really fuel weight gain?
• Q: Many American cities, like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., have proposed a “sugar tax.” Some news reports have included chocolate milk in with sweet drinks to be taxed. Does chocolate milk contribute as much sugar as the other sweet beverages included in the tax?
• Q: I’ve heard that adding milk to cocoa reduces the effect of chocolate’s healthy compounds. Any suggestions?

Health and Wellness

• Q: I am overwhelmed by the variety of yogurt products available on the dairy shelves. How do I choose the best yogurt for my needs?
• Q: I recently heard that milk is an acidifying substance that draws calcium from the bones and can cause osteoporosis. Does excess body acidity contribute to bone loss?
• Q: I make a New Year’s resolution every year for my family to eat healthier but never seem to be able to follow through. How do I succeed in 2012?
• Q: While I enjoy this time to spread holiday cheer, I’m concerned that what I eat over the holidays can contribute to weight gain. And for me it’s not the food – it’s all the wonderful party beverages. Help!
• Q: My child’s school has instituted Meatless Mondays. Now one group of parents wants to remove cheese from the menu on that day, too. Is this a good idea?
• Q: I’m hooked on a reality TV show that chronicles the shopping escapades of folks who collect coupons and the techniques they use to pay practically nothing for hundreds of dollars of purchases. It seems like such an accomplishment, but what’s in their cart doesn’t always seem healthy. What is the best way to use coupons to get good nutrition?
• Q: With school starting, I’m back to packing lunch for my daughter in preschool. In September it’s still warm outside. How can I make sure her mid-day meal is healthy and cold?
• Q: I recently saw a news report that said meat and dairy production is bad for the environment. I don’t want to be a vegan. Are there greener options when I select foods that come from animals?
• Q: I recently saw a very funny ad showing men buying lots of milk for their wives who suffer with PMS. Does this really work?
• Q: Now that summer is here, my kids are playing outside more, getting hotter and sweatier. Should I have sports drinks available for them for quick hydration?
• Q: It used to be that I got my health and nutrition information from my doctor. But now I find I see him less and am turning to the Internet for advice about my diet. How do I know if the source is credible and the information accurate?
• Q: A good amount of research done on the nutritional benefits of dairy seems to be industry-sponsored. Aren’t these studies product biased?
• Q: Recently I saw a news story about “extreme eating,” where some restaurant menus offer several thousand calories in a single meal. How can I eat out healthfully?
• Q: I’ve read that a calcium build-up in the arteries can cause a heart attack, and now some mall and health fair screenings offer imaging tests for detecting calcium in the heart. What is the relationship between calcium and heart disease?
• Q: I have lactose intolerance and was advised by friends to switch to goat’s milk. I’ve also heard that other milks can be substitutes for cow’s milk. Can these products help my milk allergy?
• Q: My 7-year-old son drinks chocolate milk constantly, has the most beautiful naturally white teeth, and has never had a cavity. His twin brother has never been a milk lover and has had several cavities filled and a tooth capped. Can drinking milk prevent cavities?
• Q: I’ve heard the term “nutrient rich” used to describe foods and beverages. What does it mean?
• Q: Rising food prices are take a bigger bite out of my paycheck. Is it possible to eat well without breaking the bank?
• Q: Body detoxification food plans that urge me to “Be my own doctor” seem to be everywhere. Can leaving certain foods out of my diet, including dairy foods, eliminate body toxins encountered in daily life?
• Q: I recently heard of a man who lost a lot of weight by eating nearly every meal at McDonald’s. Is it really possible to lose weight and make healthy choices from fast-food menus?
• Q: I just heard that the American Academy of Pediatrics said it’s OK to give adult cholesterol medication to children. Isn’t diet and exercise the best way to promote heart health?
• Q: A few months ago, many Chinese infants and children were hospitalized after drinking contaminated milk and milk formulas. Could a similar situation happen in the United States?
• Q: I’ve read that dairy foods have naturally occurring trans-fat. Are natural trans-fats as unhealthy as man-made trans-fats?
• Q: Restaurants get a bad rap for serving over-sized amounts of food. Can eating at home also contribute to weight gain?
• Q: Our new first lady, Michelle Obama, has a White House vegetable garden and is advocating fresh, unprocessed, and locally grown food. What is the dairy industry doing to help support Mrs. Obama’s agenda for a more nutritious and sustainable food supply?
• Q: Recently the American Heart Association stated that Americans are eating too much sugar and recommended that people cut down. Does that include dairy products, too?
• Q: I’m 21 years old and, like other members of my family, am tall and skinny. I want to put on some weight to look and feel better. What’s a good way to gain weight if you’re underweight? Should I switch from lowfat dairy to whole milk products?
• Q: When assessing the fat content of foods, which should I focus on — fat grams, calories, or percentages?