Dairy's Unique Nutrient Package: The Close-up on K « Back

As a registered dietitian, I find it amazing that no single group of Americans is getting enough potassium (K). K helps regulate our body’s fluid balance and maintain normal blood pressure. This is important because nearly one in three Americans has high blood pressure. The science shows that a diet high in K may help lower blood pressure. Since milk is the number one food source of K in the American diet, it’s as easy as drinking a glass to help increase our intake. For example, an 8-ounce serving of milk provides about 350 to 400 mg of K, and 8 ounces of yogurt contains about 490 mg. Keep in mind; you need three to four servings of milk, cheese or yogurt every day. This could provide up to a third of the 4700 milligrams of K we need each day. If you or someone you know has high blood pressure, they can take charge with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. This plan includes two to three servings of dairy foods and eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables. Here are some of my favorite tips to help increase the K in your diet:

• Start with breakfast. Have whole grain cereal and combine with low-fat milk or yogurt. Top with fresh fruit.
• Re-think your drink. Make low-fat and fat-free milk your mealtime beverage.
• Reinvent vegetables. Try serving with low-fat yogurt dressing.
• Say Cheese. Add low-fat cheese to your favorite vegetable, soup, sandwich or salad.

Potassium is just one of the 9 essential nutrients dairy provides to your diet, and yet another reason why dairy makes nutritional sense. What tips do you have to share? Comment with your ideas of how you incorporate dairy in your diet, therefore, increasing your K.