After my 2^nd child was born I decided that my family needed to become healthier.  This meant gradual changes on a few levels.   In addition to trying to go “green” around the house by replacing light bulbs with energy saving ones, recycling and using eco-friendly cleaning products, we made changes to our health, like deciding to exercise more and drink more milk.

The decision to incorporate more milk into our diet came after my husband and I took a series of healthy living classes. The classes were taught by very well-informed nutritionists, so I was very eager to learn from them. They were really a launching pad for my drive to serve more nutritious and healthy meals to my family, but they also inspired me to rework many of my mom's traditional Mexican recipes into healthier ones. One of our classes was focused solely on quick and easy ways to keep our families healthy.  I was really surprised to learn that young children should really only drink milk or water, no juice.   When I learned more about the lack of nutrients and high amounts of sugars found in juice we made the decision to only give our children milk and water.  I have 4 kids under the age of 8, so organic milk is a staple in our house.  We do allow them to have orange juice and the occasional glass of organic 100% fruit juice, but we try to focus on giving them organic milk at each meal and at snack time.

I found it really refreshing that even cutting edge healthy living classes recommended milk for keeping kids healthy.  The funny thing is that one day I mentioned to my mom about the classes I was taking and their recommendation to give kids only milk and water.  She laughed and said it doesn’t take a genius to know this fact!   I am glad that we are such big milk family, especially considering that my kids LOVE it!

Actually, the holidays are a great way to incorporate more milk into your child’s diet.   Think about all the junk that our families eat this time of year. It seems like between Halloween and Christmas so many unhealthy items can easily pile into our homes.   Instead of another serving of something unhealthy on our plate or your child’s plate, serve a glass milk.  Try making milk based holiday recipes that will provide nutritional value to your family, like arroz con leche made with brown rice. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and it's surely to be a favorite!

Milk contains so many more good for you nutrients than another cookie, slice of pie or piece candy can provide.   Milk will give you added calcium, which in turn helps give you strong bones, teeth, nails and hair.   Milk always helps me start day off on the right foot too, giving me that perfect boost of energy and at night a warm glass of milk helps me to relax and wind down from a busy day.  My favorite time to have a glass of milk is actually after a great workout, especially after a long run!  Did you know that after a workout muscle tends to break down and that the protein found in milk is a great tool to help your muscles rebuild after physical activity?  Funny, I actually crave my glass of milk on my runs!

To learn more about the benefits of milk Link to The Master of the Glass Half Full on Facebook and on Twitter.

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and Latina Mom Bloggers.