What foods are included in the milk, yogurt, and cheese (milk) group?

All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group, while foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not. Most milk group choices should be fat-free or low-fat.
Some commonly eaten choices in the milk, yogurt, and cheese group are:

Milk*

all fluid milk: fat-free (skim), low fat (1%), reduced fat (2%), whole milk, flavored milks: chocolate, strawberry, lactose, reduced milks, lactose free milks

Milk-based desserts*

puddings made with milk, ice milk, frozen yogurt, ice cream

Cheese*

cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, parmesan, ricotta, cottage cheese, american

Yogurt*

fat-free, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk yogurt

*Selection Tips

Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you choose milk or yogurt that is not fat-free, or cheese that is not low-fat, the fat in the product counts as part of the discretionary calorie allowance.

If sweetened milk products are chosen (flavored milk, yogurt, drinkable yogurt, desserts), the added sugars also count as part of the discretionary calorie allowance.

For those who are lactose intolerant, lactose-free and lower-lactose products are available. These include hard cheeses and yogurt. Also, enzyme preparations can be added to milk to lower the lactose content. Calcium-fortified foods and beverages such as soy beverages or orange juice may provide calcium, but may not provide the other nutrients found in milk and milk products.

How much food from the milk group is needed daily?

The amount of food from the Milk Group you need to eat depends on age. Recommended daily amounts are shown in the chart. Click here to see chart

What counts as 1 cup in the milk group?

In general, 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1⁄2 ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese can be considered as 1 cup from the milk group.

The chart lists specific amounts that count as 1 cup in the milk group towards your daily recommended intake: Click here to see chart

Health benefits

Consuming milk and milk products provides health benefits—people who have a diet rich in milk and milk products can reduce the risk of low bone mass throughout the life cycle. Foods in the milk group provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.

• Diets rich in milk and milk products help build and maintain bone mass throughout the lifecycle. This may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

• The intake of milk products is especially important to bone health during childhood and adolescence, when bone mass is being built.

• Diets that include milk products tend to have a higher overall nutritional quality.

Nutrients

Food sources of the nutrients can be found in the Dietary Guidelines.

• Calcium is used for building bones and teeth and in maintaining bone mass. Milk products are the primary source of calcium in American diets. Diets that provide 3 cups or the equivalent of milk products per day can improve bone mass.

• Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Milk products, especially yogurt and fluid milk, provide potassium.

• Vitamin D functions in the body to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorous, thereby helping to build and maintain bones. Milk that is fortified with vitamin D is a good source of this nutrient. Other sources include vitamin D-fortified yogurt and vitamin D-fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.

• Milk products that are consumed in their low-fat or fat-free forms provide little or no solid fat.
Why is it important to make fat-free or low-fat choices from the milk group? Choosing foods from the milk group that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol can have health implications. Diets high in saturated fats raise “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood. The “bad” cholesterol is called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol, in turn, increases the risk for coronary heart disease. Many cheeses, whole milk, and products made from them are high in saturated fat. To help keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, limit the amount of these foods you eat. In addition, a high intake of fats makes it difficult to avoid consuming more calories than are needed.