Milk Does your Body Good!

Instead of keeping soda in the house on hand, keep chocolate milk. While it does contain some sugar, there's a much higher chance your kids will reach for this compared to white milk and it'll still be much better for them nutritionally speaking than soda or even juice. Each cup of chocolate milk they drink will provide them with 8-9 grams of protein (depending on the brand and the percent fat).

According to the National Dairy Council, milk is filled with nine essential nutrients that benefit our health:

Calcium: Builds healthy bones and teeth; maintains bone mass
Protein: Serves as a source of energy; builds/repairs muscle tissue
Potassium: Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy
Vitamin D: Helps maintain bones
Vitamin B12: Maintains healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue
Vitamin A: Maintains the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and skin
Riboflavin (B2): Converts food into energy
Niacin: Metabolizes sugars and fatty acids

Just one 8-ounce glass of milk provides the same amount of vitamin D you'd get from 3.5 ounces of cooked salmon, as much calcium as 2 1/4 cups of broccoli, as much potassium as a small banana, as much vitamin A as two baby carrots and as much phosphorus as a cup of kidney beans!

So don't forget to drink your milk everyday!