Enjoying 3 daily servings of low fat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt, as recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is a delicious way to improve your overall diet, get more nutrients and improve bone health.

In fact, studies show nutrient-rich dairy foods, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, may help to reduce the risk of diseases such as osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

A nutrient powerhouse

Milk and milk products are such a practical source of essential nutrients that it's difficult for most people to meet recommendations for key nutrients without consuming at least 3 servings daily.

Milk, cheese and yogurt provide a unique package of nutrients that are important for good health, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and riboflavin.

And milk is the single greatest source of three of the four nutrients the Dietary Guidelines identified as lacking in the American diet - calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

Add one more

Experts recommend 3 servings of low fat or fat-free dairy foods every day, yet most of us need to add 1 daily serving of nutrient-rich dairy to help meet recommendations. One milk group serving is equal to:

• an 8-ounce glass of milk
• a 6- or 8-ounce container of yogurt
• 1½ ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese