In Kindergarten, kids learn to identify one coin from another. Of course, the quarter is the holy grail of the piggy bank or the couch cushion , but what can you really buy with a quarter. A glass of bone-building calcium. A glass of nine essential nutrients. An ice-cold glass of wholesome goodness!

And a great lesson for all of us on the value of a quarter. Because when my kids buy milk at school for just a quarter, I know we are getting a bargain, while they just think it tastes awesome.

Without milk on the table, you would have to eat 10 cups of spinach to get the same amount of calcium in one 8-ounce serving of milk. Similar to almond milk, some varieties of coconut milk beverages are fortified with vitamin B12 and vitamin D to boost their nutrition.

Coconut milk is slightly lower in calories than other milk alternatives and also contains nearly no protein. For this reason, coconut milk should be enjoyed as more of a flavor additive or in special circumstances rather than a primary milk choice.

Nevertheless, it is a nut-free and dairy-free beverage that offers a desirable flavor that some prefer and is especially delicious in a Coconut Blueberry Smoothie. One of the newer products on the block, oat milk is quickly gaining popularity.

Here is the nutrition for 1 cup of oat milk :. Many brands of oat milk are fortified with nutrients, similar to other milk alternatives, so check the label. However, at 3 g of protein per cup it's much lower in protein but slightly higher than other milk alternative options.

One notable thing about oat milk is that it contains 2 g of fiber per cup, which can be helpful for someone trying to boost their intake.

As a bonus, you can easily make your own oat milk from scratch just note that it won't be fortified with the same nutrients as store-bought oat milk. While hemp milk might not be as popular as some others, it is another milk alternative that is making its way into the spotlight.

Here is the nutrition for 1 cup of unflavored hemp milk :. Unlike other non-dairy milk alternatives, hemp milk is not typically fortified with additional nutrients. For this reason, it has little to no calcium, vitamin B12 or vitamin D, which are often added to plant milks.

Still, it's a source of iron , which can help with energy, and contains some fiber which can help with digestion.

Hemp milk typically has a higher price point than cow's milk or other more popular milk alternatives, but it could be a good option for someone looking for something free of nuts or dairy. Rice milk is a grain-based beverage blended and strained to serve a similar purpose to milk.

Here is the nutrition for 1 cup of unsweetened rice milk :. Rice milk is often fortified with nutrients to mimic the nutrition of cow's milk and includes hard-to-find nutrients in plant-based foods, like calcium, vitamin B12 and iron. While it's significantly lower in protein than cow's milk or other milk alternatives, this dairy- and nut-free beverage is higher in carbs, which can help give you an energy boost before activity.

There are several options for milk and milk alternatives out there, and the choice you make should reflect your own dietary preferences and any restrictions you may have.

From a nutrition perspective, any type of cow's milk is naturally high in protein and nutrients that support healthy bones and a healthy body. Depending on the brand, soy milk is comparable to cow's milk in protein and nutrition.

Other milk alternatives tend to be lower in calories and protein but are often fortified by producers to boost their nutrition. Use limited data to select advertising.

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Hi Kim! Homemade yogurt yields the same amount of yogurt as milk — so if you use 1 gallon of milk, you will get about 1 gallon of yogurt. When you compare the cost of yogurt and milk, it saves a lot of money!

There are trade-offs, like the learning curve and a little bit of time. Use plain unflavored gelatin to thicken it. I get mine at a baking outlet in the city, keeps forever. I might try it again now though! Any tips? Your email address will not be published.

Don't subscribe All new comments Replies to my comments Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. How to Store Dairy Products Make sure you store dairy products in the proper place.

Meanwhile, yogurt and butter keep in the fridge for a really long time. Freeze it! Ferment it! Kim on September 7, at pm. Steph on September 8, at pm.

Dairy milk, low-fat or fat-free (or lactose-free or fortified soy versions) Evaporated milk, fat free Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat

Budget-conscious dairy products - Cottage cheese, low-fat Dairy milk, low-fat or fat-free (or lactose-free or fortified soy versions) Evaporated milk, fat free Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat

Buy the large yogurt containers instead of the individual portions for an easy money saver. It also works great when making smoothies! You are able to add the perfect amount of yogurt to match your preference. Price check! A small 5. Whether you are snacking on Greek yogurt or adding a glass of milk with your meal, dairy should be incorporated into your nutrition every day!

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Dairy. By: Sammy Griffith, RD, LDN Dairy products are a cost-effective way to boost your protein intake. Not only is dairy inexpensive, it also has many benefits to offer.

Try our tips below to stretch your dollar when it comes to dairy! Use your freezer. Dairy products can be frozen just like meat and vegetables to extend their expiration date. It's obvious from the width of some of these bars that a lot can also be done from the producer's end to minimise emissions — but that side of things is, of course, largely out of our direct control.

It's important to know that, as nasty as cheese appears to be at a glance, not all cheese is created equal when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. We can choose to buy cheeses that have a lower impact, and also make small changes in the way we use these cheeses in order to consume a smaller amount overall.

And there are several other dairy choices we can make to reduce our footprint without giving up this delicious food group altogether.

The most important thing to know when considering the impact of dairy products is that the vast majority of emissions attributable to dairy products occur during the production stage. This is because the methane released by cows has 25 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide.

This means that the emissions attributable to a dairy product come down, in large part, to the amount of milk required to make that product. When we process milk into cheese, butter, cream, or yoghurt, we are putting in even more energy — and more emissions — to create a smaller volume of food.

A kilogram of cheese, for example, takes 5—10 kilograms of milk to produce. So with all this in mind, here are a few strategies you could consider adopting to reduce the environmental impact of your dairy consumption.

Choose soft cheeses. Soft cheeses require less milk to produce. One kilogram of soft cheese takes around five to eight litres of milk to produce, whereas hard cheese takes around ten litres. Already this means the hard cheese is contributing significantly more emissions than the soft cheese on a per-kilo basis.

Choose young cheeses. In addition, some hard cheeses, such as parmesan, require high-temperature cooking. Hard cheeses also tend to be aged for longer, which requires continuous refrigeration and contributes even more emissions. R ealise, however, that these emissions pale in comparison to the production methane emissions.

Choose local cheeses. Look for cheeses produced locally to cut down on transportation-related emissions. Use smaller amounts of stronger-tasting cheeses.

Skip to main content. Milk Your Budget: Dairy Is Still Affordable. Monday, March 9, The price of a gallon of milk divided by the 16 servings contained inside nearly always equals the same sum, give or take a few pennies. Gather prices of gallons of milk from different stores, and from different labels, as well as different varieties whole, reduced fat, low fat and fat free and discover the average price.

Farmers do not set the price of milk at the grocery store. But they do work hard to produce a safe , wholesome, nutritious product for you and me. By Susan Allen.

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