A closer look at:

Milk and dairy foods

Try to eat some milk and dairy food – such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais – every day. These are a good source of calcium, protein, vitamins and other minerals which help to keep bones strong.  Infants, younger children and the elderly can benefit from the calories provided by whole milk.  

Some dairy food can be high in fat and saturated fat, but there are plenty of lower-fat options to choose from. For example, why not try 1% fat milk – it contains about half the fat of semi-skimmed – or reduced-fat cheese? Or you could have just a small amount of the high-fat varieties less often. Soya milk is an interesting alternative as it contains plant protein without the fat content of milk.

What's included ?

Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt, Fromage frais, Cottage cheese, Cream cheese, Quark.

Butter and cream aren’t included in this group - they fit in ‘Fat'  because they are high in fat.

What to do?

Eat some milk and dairy foods every day. Choose lower-fat options when you can or have just a small amount of the high-fat varieties less often.

Top Tips

Try switching to lower-fat milk, such as 1% fat milk.

Compare labels on yoghurts and try to choose the ones lower in saturated fat and sugars.

Try to use low-fat yoghurt or fromage frais instead of cream, soured cream or crème fraîche. Keep an eye on how much cheese you eat – most types of cheese are high in saturated fat and salt