Why should we LOVE milk?

It helps keep your weight in check

People who consume more dairy products weigh less and have less body fat than those who consume less. Milk seems to satisfy our hunger better than other drinks—perhaps due to its protein. And people who drank skim milk felt fuller and ate less at their next meal than people who drank a fruit drink. If you are concerned about weight gain, choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk, which can have as much as 8 grams of fat per serving.

It builds bone

Just 1 cup of milk provides 30 percent of the daily value of calcium, a mineral that helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. To get that amount of calcium from other foods you’d have to eat more than 7 cups of raw broccoli, for example. Calcium is critical to the formation of bones in children and teenagers and becomes equally important to rebuild the bone mass that we lose as we age.

It helps keep muscles strong

One cup of milk provides 16 percent of the daily value for protein, which builds and repairs muscles. In fact, several small studies (partially funded by the dairy industry) found that chocolate milk might help athletes refuel as well as or better than popular sports drinks. Chocolate milk contains the mix of protein and carbohydrate the body needs to recover its energy supplies after an intense workout.