Health experts recommend kids under 5 drink only cow’s milk and water
Leading medical and nutrition organizations recommend breast milk, infant formula, water and plain milk as part of a new set of comprehensive beverage recommendations for children, outlined by age (birth through age 5).
The recommendations were developed as part of a collaboration by experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association under the leadership of Healthy Eating Research (HER), a nutrition research organization, and with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). To develop the evidence-based recommendations, HER conducted an extensive review of scientific literature, existing guidelines from national and international bodies, and reports on early childhood beverage consumption.
“Early childhood is an important time to start shaping nutrition habits and promoting healthy beverage consumption,” said Megan Lott, MPH, RD, deputy director of HER, which convened the expert panel. “By providing caregivers, health care and early care and education providers, policymakers and beverage industry representatives a clear set of objective, science-based recommendations for healthy drink consumption, we can use this opportunity to work together and improve the health and well-being of infants and young children throughout the United States.”
The recommendations are intended for healthy children in the U.S. and do not address medical situations in which specific nutrition guidance is needed to manage a health condition or specific dietary choices such as abstaining from animal products.
They caution against beverages that are sources of added sugars in young children’s diets, including flavored milks and sugar- and low-calorie-sweetened beverages, in addition to a wide variety of beverages that are on the market and targeted to children such as toddler formulas, caffeinated beverages and plant-based/nondairy beverages, which provide no unique nutritional value.
The full report and recommendations are available here.
The site also contains a set of parent-focused one-minute videos, in English and Spanish, covering all the different topics included in the guidelines, such as tips for swapping out sugary drinks and understanding different types of milk.
Eating cheese may offset blood vessel damage from salt
Antioxidants naturally found in cheese may help protect blood vessels from damage from high levels of salt in the diet, according to a new Penn State study.
The researchers found that when adults consumed a high-sodium diet, they also experienced blood vessel dysfunction. But when the same adults consumed four servings of cheese a day alongside the same high-sodium diet, they did not experience this effect.
Billie Alba, who led the study while finishing her doctoral degree at Penn State, said the findings may help people balance food that tastes good with minimizing the risks that come with eating too much salt.
According to Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology at Penn State and another researcher on the study, previous research has shown a connection between dairy products — even cheeses high in sodium — and improved heart health measures.
The National Dairy Council helped supported the research.
National Cancer Institute endorses Dairy Council of California’s nutrition education curriculum
The Dairy Council of California’s Nutrition Pathfinders program for elementary school fourth graders was accepted as a Research-Tested Intervention Program (RTIP) by the National Cancer Institute.
NCI’s RTIPs is a searchable database that provides public health practitioners with easy access to evidence-based cancer control interventions and program materials. To qualify, listings must demonstrate measurable impact as research-tested intervention programs.
The Dairy Council of California’s Nutrition Pathfinders for fourth grade is part of a K-12 nutrition education curriculum designed to teach students healthy eating habits and encourage physical activity.
“Educators are influential gatekeepers of children, teaching lifelong skills every day in the classroom,” said Tracy Mendez, R.D.N. and director of nutrition education at Dairy Council of California. “Integrating nutrition education lessons in the classroom equips students with the right tools to make healthy eating decisions that will last them a lifetime.”
Free to California schools, Dairy Council of California’s nutrition education curriculum is also available for a small fee to out-of-state schools. 
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Dave Natzke
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