CHEF JEFF: Milk does a body good

• Jeff Tiedeman

Jeff Tiedeman

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There was a time not too long ago when the only occasion people bought milk at the grocery store or neighborhood market was if they ran out and it was an emergency. Just about everyone had their milk delivered to their doorstep.

At least that’s the way it was in our home.

We were on a first-name basis with our milkmen, who both happened to be Paul (Vaudrin and Charron). And both grew up in Crookston, as did my mom, so it wasn’t unusual for them to have a cup of coffee — and maybe a cookie or two — when they stopped by our house at the end of their route.

It was always a treat to catch the Bridgeman’s milkman on his route during the summer, since they kept their dairy products cool on ice, which they sometimes would share with us kids on those unbearable hot summer days.

But perhaps the topper were the free movie tickets we would get for saving a certain number (I think it was 10) of the little Bridgets that were imprinted on milk cartons.

I got to thinking about this when one of our ad reps, Lindsey Enger, approached me about participating in the third annual “Milk Mustache” contest sponsored by Valley Dairy and Cass Clay Creamery from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Valley Dairy No. 23 at 4701 S. Washington St.

This is the kind of event that any kid would love. Activities include food sampling, face painting and a malt cup walk as well as a duck pond, coloring contest and tattoo booth, which I will help man.

Also on hand will be Grand Forks Fire Department personnel (with trucks), Lenco Bearcat, a SWAT team, McGruff the Crime Dog, Molly Moo and more.

And, of course, there will be the opportunity to get a “Milk Mustache” and a chance to win one of four new bicycles with helmets. Other prizes include an IPod Shuffle, cow banks, digital photo frames and ice cream for a year.

This is a great way to celebrate National Dairy Month, which started in 1937 as National Milk Month. Dairy products provide nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, and riboflavin. Milk products also help build strong bones, teeth and muscles. (Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 9 out of 10 women and almost 8 out of 10 men fall short of calcium recommendations.)

Here are a few more reasons to think dairy:

• Incorporating dairy into your diet helps with a lower Body Mass Index and body weight and aids in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and even PMS in women.

• Calcium-rich snacks like cheese sticks, yogurt drinks (think smoothies) or cottage cheese are healthy snacks for when hunger strikes.

• Your body needs to have a healthy amount of “good” bacteria in the digestive tract, and most yogurts are made using probiotics, which benefit the digestive tract. Yogurt also has power-boosting protein and bone-building calcium and can help you lose weight or even fend off a cold.

Speaking of yogurt, the Greek variety has become a favorite in our house, especially when mixed with fresh fruit (think raspberries, strawberries and peaches) and preserves, jams and jelly.

We’re not the only ones who fallen for Greek yogurt. Sales have grown so much the last five years — from $35.4 million to a projected $2 billion at the end of this year — that major yogurt distributors have even introduced their own versions to steal back lost profits. (At its current pace of growth, Greek yogurt sales will comprise 43 percent of the $4.6 billion U.S. yogurt market by the end of the year.)

I wonder what it would have been like if the two Pauls had been delivering more than milk. I might have gladly traded those sought-after ice cubes for a scoop of Greek yogurt.

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