The South African food-based dietary guidelines recommend consuming dairy products as part of your daily diet. These foods provide both children and adults with high-quality essential nutrients. Accordingly, dairy is a basic food group that each household should have access to. And daily servings of dairy for most are highly beneficial.
In South Africa, selected food items are zero-VAT-rated. The reason for this is to make basic food items more affordable for South Africans. It is a direct market intervention. by the government that assists lower-income consumers in the face of increasing food prices and the upward spiral of the cost of living. Milk is zero-VAT-rated because of its nutritional value. As well as the belief that everyone should be able to access a daily serving of dairy.
Why Should You Eat Dairy?
Eating dairy products daily provides one with regular, cost-effective, good-quality nutrients. Dairy products are particularly nutrient-dense. This means that including dairy in one’s intake will generally decrease the quantity of food required to provide the recommended daily requirement for various nutrients. Therefore, consuming dairy provides an economical form of nutrition .
For example, calcium is an essential nutrient which assists children in the development of strong bones and healthy teeth. The recommended daily requirement is 900mg of calcium per day. This is equivalent to 3-4 glasses of milk. For comparison, a child could alternatively obtain this amount of calcium by consuming 1 cup of cooked white beans, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 cup of almonds, and a 120g tin of sardines mashed with bone.
What Type of Dairy is Best?
In some countries, full-cream (or full-fat) dairy products are preferable, whereas in other countries low-fat dairy products are more popular. Orange Grove produces dairy products that are High (Full), Medium or Low-Fat so that everyone can enjoy the dairy they prefer.
The type of dairy isn’t as important as making sure that you consume a daily serving of dairy. The daily intake of dairy can help to reduce nutritional diet gaps as well as assist in buffering against future chronic illnesses. However, research shows that on average South Africans’ daily intake of dairy is too low. This means that most South Africans fail to consume the necessary amount of dairy to help keep them in optimal health.
How Big is a Serving?
A serving is generally considered to be one cup. Therefore, in South Africa, one glass of milk (250mls) is one serving of dairy.
What is the Recommended Daily Amount of Dairy?
Like optimal fat content, recommendations for dairy daily allowances vary slightly from country to country. Although there is a general mean that prevails for adults and children.
How much Dairy should Adults Eat per Day?
Worldwide there is a growing acknowledgement that most adults do not consume enough dairy. This means that for most people adding more dairy to their diet is a quick and easy way of accessing high-quality nutrient-rich food.
For adults, consuming dairy can be especially helpful in buffering against the risk or slowing down the impact of osteoporosis. This is because dairy products can be a good source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D and protein, all of which promote bone health. The recommended daily amount of dairy for an adult is 3 servings. You can enjoy your daily helpings of dairy by eating or drinking it directly or adding dairy to your cooking.
How much Dairy should a Child Eat per Day?
Milk is regarded as an essential food for proper growth and bone development. This is because it is nutrient-dense with what children need to develop healthy bodies and minds. The recommended daily dairy allowance for children varies according to how old they are. As children get older, they should consume more dairy, increasing their intake until they are consuming three servings per day by age 9.
Orange Grove provides many dairy options for children to enjoy from full cream milk to yoghurts and dairy snacks. Each is packaged in various sizes to suit when you’d like to enjoy your serving of dairy. For lunch boxes, 250ml long-life milk and single-serving yoghurts are an ideal addition. Our 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre UHT and Fresh Milks are great to share. 500g and 1kg cartons of yoghurt and drinking snacks make tasty treats.
How Much Dairy Should You Eat per Day?
- 12 – 23 months: 1 2/3 to 2 servings
- 2-3 years: 2 to 2.5 servings.
- 4-8 years: 2.5 servings.
- 9 – 18 years: 3 servings.
- Adults: 3 servings
What Type of Dairy is Best?
The great thing about dairy is that there are many options to choose from. This means that you can pick and choose something different every day if you want to. You can also choose between long-life (UHT) products and fresh ones. Orange Grove has a range of products in both for you to enjoy.
What If You’re Lactose Intolerant?
Some people battle to digest specific dairy products and eating dairy with lactose intolerance can be a challenge. However, with Orange Grove, you’ve got options! Orange Grove produces a range of delicious Maas, Amasi, that can be eaten by lactose-intolerant people. Additionally, there is the option of D’Lacto which is Orange Grove’s tasty lactose-free milk.