Undeniably Dairy Experience : R&D Dairy
I have received a Mini Grant from Midwest Dairy to provide an
#undeniablydairyexperience! I want to shed light on the dairy industry
and the nutritional benefits of consuming dairy products. To do this, I
plan to visit local dairies, purchase dairy products, and then create
recipe highlighting dairy.
My third stop on my #undeniablydairyexperience was to a local dairy right here in West Point! I visited the other Guenther's of West Point to tour their dairy. Cassie, Andy, and some kiddos gave me a great tour of their farm and we had a great time discussing the in's and out's of the dairy industry. It was so fun to visit dairy right here in Cuming County.
R&D Dairy is a family owned and operated dairy. They do not process or bottle any of their milk at their dairy instead it goes to a co-op in Minnesota where it is primarily used to make cheese. They said Sargento is one of the companies that purchases their milk! It was so fun to make the connection between a large company and a local farmer.
One thing Cassie and I discussed a great deal was milk alternatives, like soy and almond, and it's impact on the dairy industry. Cassie believes that a lot of it has to deal with marketing. "Soy and almond milk have fun new packaging and labels while milk labeling has always stayed the same," Cassie said. A concern she has is that consumers are too focused on the packaging and not on the nutrition facts label.
Many reached out asking questions about the comparison between milk and milk alternatives like almond and soy milk. Let's look at the labels and compare.
When it comes down to it, if you are looking for the most natural, nutritious, and economical beverage for yourself and your family - it's real MILK!
I asked Andy if there was anything that he wishes he could tell consumers and he said "The farmer is always thinking of the consumer and how to deliver them the best, most nutritious, affordable product - I hope the consumer takes time to think of the farmer."
For this visit, I wanted to make liquid milk the star and I wanted to find recipes that simply would not be the same in terms of flavor and nutrition with anything but milk!
This smoothie is loaded with low fat milk and makes for the perfect snack for Charlotte especially while she is growing.
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
2 bananas, peeled
2 cups low fat chocolate milk
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
1 handful of ice
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Makes 2 smoothies. If you have leftover smoothie after this recipe, don't throw it away! Use it to make chocolate banana Popsicle for a nutritious dessert.
This next recipe is something to save for when the weather cools down. Now I’ve never met a potato soup that I liked, so I created my own. It’s light, creamy, delicious and needs to go into your regular soup rotation.
Creamy Potato Soup
2# yellow potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups low fat milk
1/4 fat free sour cream
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside potatoes. In the same pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté onion, celery, and garlic until tender. Add potatoes. Cover with chicken stock and add a sprig of fresh thyme. Simmer for 10-15 min. Remove thyme and use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Add 2 cups of milk and sour cream. Purée again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more fresh thyme.
R&D Dairy is a family owned and operated dairy. They do not process or bottle any of their milk at their dairy instead it goes to a co-op in Minnesota where it is primarily used to make cheese. They said Sargento is one of the companies that purchases their milk! It was so fun to make the connection between a large company and a local farmer.One thing Cassie and I discussed a great deal was milk alternatives, like soy and almond, and it's impact on the dairy industry. Cassie believes that a lot of it has to deal with marketing. "Soy and almond milk have fun new packaging and labels while milk labeling has always stayed the same," Cassie said. A concern she has is that consumers are too focused on the packaging and not on the nutrition facts label.
Many reached out asking questions about the comparison between milk and milk alternatives like almond and soy milk. Let's look at the labels and compare.
Here is the label of fat free milk. In 1 cup of fat free milk you will find: 80 calories, 0 g of fat, 11 g of carbohydrates (all coming from the natural sugar, lactose, found in dairy), and 8 g of protein. You will also find that milk only has three ingredients: fat free milk, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
Now let's look at soy milk. In 1 cup of soy milk you will
find: 100 calories, 3.5 g of fat, 11 g
of carbohydrates (9 grams coming from added sugar) and 6 g of protein. You will also find that soy milk has 11 ingredients with cane sugar being the second most prominent ingredient!When it comes down to it, if you are looking for the most natural, nutritious, and economical beverage for yourself and your family - it's real MILK!
I asked Andy if there was anything that he wishes he could tell consumers and he said "The farmer is always thinking of the consumer and how to deliver them the best, most nutritious, affordable product - I hope the consumer takes time to think of the farmer."
For this visit, I wanted to make liquid milk the star and I wanted to find recipes that simply would not be the same in terms of flavor and nutrition with anything but milk!
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
2 bananas, peeled
2 cups low fat chocolate milk
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
1 handful of ice
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Makes 2 smoothies. If you have leftover smoothie after this recipe, don't throw it away! Use it to make chocolate banana Popsicle for a nutritious dessert.
This next recipe is something to save for when the weather cools down. Now I’ve never met a potato soup that I liked, so I created my own. It’s light, creamy, delicious and needs to go into your regular soup rotation.
Creamy Potato Soup2# yellow potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups low fat milk
1/4 fat free sour cream
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside potatoes. In the same pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté onion, celery, and garlic until tender. Add potatoes. Cover with chicken stock and add a sprig of fresh thyme. Simmer for 10-15 min. Remove thyme and use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Add 2 cups of milk and sour cream. Purée again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more fresh thyme.
Comments
Post a Comment