Got Milk?
By Sarah Jackson

Students eating in the Plaza 900 dining hall are greeted by a little chicken sitting by the drink machines. Henny Penny holds a little blackboard with the message, "Calcium is good for you -- drink milk!"  

The new food pyramid established by the United States Department of Agriculture strongly recommends that everyone over 2 years of age should get three servings daily of fat-free or low-fat milk, or equivalent milk products. According to Pauline Landuis, MU assistant professor of nutritional sciences, liquid milk and yogurt servings should be around eight ounces and ice cream should be about four ounces, or a half-cup.

How can students meet their dairy needs and still keep off the infamous "Mizzou Twenty-Two"?  

"Most students, especially girls, will get just a small cone of ice cream rather than a bowl, just so they don't get as much," Kristie Molloy said.  

Another alternative besides portion control is to choose low-fat and non-fat products, Landhuis said. She also added that many yogurts and cheeses are available and that soft-serve ice cream has fewer calories than regular ice cream.

MU's Campus Dining Services definitely has its work cut out for it in catering to the dietary needs of thousands of students.  

"Campus dining offers milk options in chocolate, two percent, one percent and skim, in addition to soymilk for vegans and lactose intolerant students," Steve Simpson, associate director of Campus Dining, said.  

Milk is obtainable at multiple locations on campus. At many meals, skim milk runs out in the dining halls due to such high consumption.

"What's nice about dairy products is that they're packaged in a way that makes our bodies able to use calcium better," Landhuis said.  

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that three daily servings of dairy may help meet the nutrition requirements for four of the seven most critical nutrients adult Americans lack: vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Maintaining a healthy diet consists of fitting dairy products into a wide range of dietary choices, and some fat is often needed to do that.  

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