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Parents and elders have been advising children to empty their glasses of milk for ages. And their insistence was not in vain. Milk is a wonderful source of protein, potassium, calcium, vitamin B-12 and magnesium, while containing essential fats and little calories. Since it provides more than 8 gm of protein per cup, milk is a crucial addition to your kid’s diet that can improve their health in multiple ways. Here is a quick guide though the benefits of drinking milk every day, along with a few tips to understand how to make the glass of milk more interesting for your kids.
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Benefits of drinking milk daily for kids
1. Boosts your immune system
Full of nutrients, milk is great for boosting your kids’ immune system. Milk’s high levels of vitamins, minerals, and protein strengthen their immunity and lower the risk of multiple diseases.
2. Improves bone health
Since milk contains calcium, it is a great way of improving bone strength and reducing the risk of stress fractures. And since active kids need strong bones, drinking milk is the best way of ensuring it.
3. Aids digestive health
Since milk has selenium and B vitamins, it is helpful in converting food into energy and stabilizing metabolism. This is why milk also helps reduce heartburn and has a cooling effect on the body.
4. Improves heart health
Low-fat dairy has been linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus. Therefore, drinking milk daily will keep your kids hale and hearty.
5. Promotes skin and hair health
Since milk is a good source of vitamin A and zinc, your and your kids’ skin is bound to glow, while your hair remains luscious and soft. Milk is also useful when incorporated in homemade face and hair masks.
6. Benefits mental health
Consumption of a balanced diet has always been key to a healthy and happy individual. Since milk is rich in B vitamins with traces of vitamin D, it influences the mood and mental wellbeing of children to an extent. Daily consumption of milk can lead to improved mental and emotional state.
7. Helps in post-workout recovery
Since milk hydrates and supplies the human body with necessary electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, this makes it an ideal post-workout or training drink for muscle and energy recovery.
8. Increases hydration
Replete with electrolytes, milk nourishes and rehydrates your children in no time. What is lost in sweat can be regained in a matter of minutes this summer with a chilled glass of milk for children.
9. Boosts energy levels
Since milk contains lactose, natural sugars and protein, it has a satiating effect and provides energy naturally to children. Unlike processed sugar, protein and natural sugar do not cause any energy crashes halfway through the day.
10. Makes teeth healthy
Since milk possesses good amounts of calcium, it improves teeth health. Avoid feeding kids processed sugars. Instead, make homemade desserts using milk and natural sweeteners for healthy teeth and a happy tummy.
Tips to make your kids drink milk everyday
Since many kids kick up a fuss, here are some quick tips to make your kids drink milk every day.
- Make drinking milk a nightly family routine. Young children do not learn from their parents, they mimic them and imbibe good habits.
- Use milk in a variety of dishes like soups, stews, casseroles, scrambles, bakes, desserts, and curries. If not directly, slowly get them accustomed to the flavor of milk via other dishes, before introducing it daily on its own.
- Try to make your kids drink milk throughout the day, not just as part of one meal. Include portions either during the main mealtimes or as snack time accompaniments.
- If your kid does not enjoy the mild flavor of milk, add natural sweeteners like honey, or date palm molasses, or add dry fruits like pistachio, or almonds to it. This will make the milk flavorful, appealing, and attractive, all the necessities of young children.
- Milk also tastes great when a part of drinks like shakes, smoothies, homemade teas, and coffees. However, take care not to go overboard with fats or sweeteners, as they can pack a lot of calories along with taste. Try to incorporate nut butters, dry fruits, fresh fruits, and natural beverage flavors like cocoa and vanilla bean into milk, to increase its nutrition and make it irresistible to picky eaters.
Conclusion
Drinking milk has been a healthy habit since time immemorial, that must be kept up by parents and children of the 21st century, to obtain adequate nourishment and meet daily dietary intakes. Since kids have a hectic lifestyle, equivalent in terms of stress and workload to their parents, their mental and physical wellbeing must be ensured primarily. And in the summer heat, when most kids dislike consuming heavy food, milk is the perfect alternative to milk, providing their bodies with adequate vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy fats. But before trying to feed them the dairy nectar, parents must understand all the benefits of drinking milk daily. After all, smart kids nowadays are much more convinced by factual benefits than traditional chastisement.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
