Yes To Yogurt

Get the benefits of milk plus more!

While most may think of yogurt as a dieter’s food, it is actually ideal as a rich source of calcium for all ages — from growing children and adolescents to pregnant or lactating mothers and the elderly.

Yogurt is made from milk, with all of milk’s natural nutrients. What’s more, it has twenty (20) percent less lactose so it’s easier to digest. A 125-gram cup of yogurt gives as much as ten (10) percent of an adult’s daily calcium needs. And unlike ordinary milk, yogurt has live microorganisms — active bacteria that aid digestion and promote the growth of intestinal flora that help the body fight disease-causing bacteria.

To add more yogurt to everyday diet, here are some healthier alternatives and tips:

• Replace mayonnaise and salad dressings with yogurt
• Replace ice cream and milkshake with frozen yogurt and mixed fruit yogurt smoothie
• Make dips with yogurt instead of sour-cream
• Try using yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese
• Use to marinate meat and poultry
• Yogurt can also be stove cooked, but it will curdle if heated to too high a temperature or boiled. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch into each cup of yogurt before cooking it, can prevent this problem.