Children know and recognise milk from a very early age. Even babies over the age of 1 and toddlers are familiar with the beverage as they consume it as an important source of nutrition. But does your child know that this very basic animal derivative can be transformed to create some delectable products like cheese, butter and even ice-cream via various methods of processing? Let us understand all about these products, known as dairy.
What Are Dairy Products?
Dairy products are basically food products that are made using milk. They are a good source of energy.
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The raw milk used for processing the milk products mostly comes from cows. However, milk of sheep, goats, and water buffalo are also used at times.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Dairy Products For Kids?
Milk is highly beneficial for children to consume as a daily beverage. However, when transformed into other dairy products, they get added benefits or higher concentration of one particular element. Some benefits of dairy products are:
1. Healthy Bones
Calcium and phosphorous increase bone density and mass. Milk and dairy products are rich in calcium and they should be consumed for healthy development and maintenance of strong bones.
2. Good Teeth
Dairy products are beneficial for maintaining healthy teeth. Casein is a protein in milk and which prevents tooth decay. Milk can also be given to kids between meals. Calcium, present in yogurt, milk, cheese, and other dairy products, helps in preventing gum diseases.
3. Prevents Dehydration
Fluids in the form of milk or buttermilk keep kids hydrated. Apart from re-hydrating the body, milk provides instant energy. Sodium and potassium present in milk restore the fluid balance in the body effectively. Buttermilk with a pinch of salt is a good rehydration drink and very good for children, especially in very hot weather.
4. Controlling Blood Pressure
A healthy lifestyle in childhood contributes greatly to a healthy future in adulthood and old age. High blood pressure can damage the heart, blood vessels, and other organs of their bodies. Potassium-rich food is required to control this effect of high blood pressure. Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products are rich in potassium, which keeps high blood pressure at bay. Bioactive peptides are a type of protein found in milk that maintains a healthy blood pressure.
5. Prevents Obesity in Children
Obesity in children is one of the main health concerns nowadays, which is increasing at an alarming rate. Globally. It can, however, be controlled by the proper intake of a sufficient quantity of dairy foods. It is a wrong belief that dairy food makes a child fat. Calcium present in dairy food helps in breaking down body fat. Even those who drink flavoured milk are less attracted to other sweetened drinks, making them opt for a healthier alternative.
6. Healthy growth
Dairy products take care of the normal growth and development of your child. Children grow quickly and they need a liberal serving of dairy food regularly during these early stages of childhood when their bones and teeth are developing.
List Of Common Dairy Products For Kids
Check out these pictures of dairy products and teach your child about healthy dairy products:
1. Butter
Butter is one of the most popular high-fat milk products made from churned cream or milk. While butter does have vitamin D and A, it is not very nutritious. So, it will be best if you have it only in reasonable amounts per day.
2. Cheese
Cheese is extremely delicious and also popular all over the world. It is a fermented milk product, and you can get them in different sizes and shapes. Some cheese is soft and mild while some can be strong and hard. Cheese is a great source of protein. But while consuming it, remember, it is even high in fat.
3. Buttermilk
Buttermilk may not be very famous but it is a sour-tasting and refreshing milk product. It is simply the pale-yellow liquid that is left behind after churning butter.
It is good to have buttermilk regularly because it improves oral health, it can make your bones stronger, it is known to reduce blood pressure levels, and it is easier to digest compared to other milk products.
4. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is a curd-based, high-protein cheese. What is best about this milk product is that it is extremely protein-dense. It is low in carbs and fat and just 100 grams offers you 12 grams of protein.
5. Cream
Cream is usually found on the top layer of milk. It is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer. It is skimmed from the top of milk before homogenisation. When talking about full fat dairy products, we refer to the amount of cream that the milk contains. Once the cream is removed, the milk becomes skimmed or low fat.
6. Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. It is not a product directly derived from milk but created by mixing two dairy products. Stabilisers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are often added in industrial production.
7. Ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It is most commonly used in India, where it traditionally originated. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and even has significance in religious rituals.
8. Sour Cream
Sour cream or soured cream is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream.
9. Ice Cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream combined with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a flavouring ingredient, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as strawberries or peaches.
10. Yogurt
Yogurt is a dairy product made by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor.
Other Dairy Products Names For Kids
Here are some more examples of dairy products for preschoolers.
- Condensed Milk
- Milk Powder
- Custard
- Khoya
- Dulce de leche
- Hung Curd
- Milk Powder
- Half-and-half
- Whipped Cream
- Crème Fraîche
- White Butter
- Lassi
- Kefir
- Frozen Yogurt
- Whey
Some Interesting Facts About Dairy Products
- The liquid present at the top of sour cream and yogurt is called whey. We often discard it but if used well, it can prove to be a very healthy ingredient.
- String cheese can be made at home with a simple process. Heat mozzarella to 60 degrees centigrade, which results in the milk protein lining up. They then can be peeled off in strings.
- Turkish ice cream does not melt easily.
- Sardinia offers a cheese known as maggot cheese that contains live maggots.
- Until recently, the holes present in Swiss cheese were believed to be signs of imperfection, something, which the cheesemakers tried hard to avoid.
This article will teach your child about types of dairy products for kindergarten students. Introduce them to this list and let them identify the various dairy products in their dairy diet to revise their knowledge.
Also Read:
Cooking Verbs for Children
Food Names in English for Kids
Fruit Vocabulary for Children
