Our mothers were fed up trying to convince us to finish that full glass of milk throughout our childhood. But we always found ways to not drink it. The only things that used to bring milk and us together were the Mithais and desserts on festivals like Navratri.
Although we have grown up and become wiser, we still avoid milk. And now, even Navratri cannot bridge the gap. But you should know milk has a lot of benefits. One glass of milk a day can keep multiple health problems away. So, let’s see the top five reasons why you should include milk in your diet and how you can churn healthy Navratri desserts with it.
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Include Milk in Your Diet
Power of Nine: Milk has nine essential nutrients, namely, calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin A, riboflavin and niacin. All these nutrients contribute towards our overall health.
Stronger Bones and Teeth: The Calcium, Vitamin D and Phosphorus in milk improve bone mass. It helps in the recuperation of bone cells and improves our denture.
Zero Weight Gain: Milk is high in protein and linoleic acid. While protein keeps you full for hours, linoleic acid breaks down fat and hinders fat production. Protein also serves as an energy booster and repairs muscle tissue.
Healthy Heart: The potassium content in milk enhances vasodilation, meaning, it lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and unruffles cardiovascular functioning. Having a glass of milk, therefore, reduces the risks of heart stroke, cardiac arrests, atherosclerosis or fat accumulation in the arteries, and other heart diseases.
Enhances Immunity: Milk contains properties like lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, immunoglobulins, cysteine, and methionine that strengthen our immune system. These elements not only shield us from cough, cold and fever but also from diabetes and cancer.
3 Healthy Navratri Recipes with Milk
Gajar Ka Halwa:
• Cook the shredded carrots, milk and raisins for about 40 minutes on medium flame.
• Stir until all the milk is soaked in and the carrots look mushy and cooked.
• Add 1tbsp of vanilla extract, jaggery, palm sugar or agave, and cardamom powder and mix it well.
• Garnishing it with shredded nuts, you can serve it piping hot and even cold.
Makhana Kheer Recipe
• Ground the makhanas into small pieces.
• Pour milk and makhana pieces in a wok and let it cook for one and a half hours.
• Add jaggery when the milk comes to boil and the makhana pieces turn soft. Stir well.
• Add almonds, pistachios, and cardamom powder and stir again.
• Serve it warm or cool.
Pista Almond Barfi
• Boil and simmer the milk for 40 minutes.
• Keep stirring till it thickens into a porridge-like texture.
• Add jaggery, agave or palm sugar, cardamoms, pistachios and almonds, and stir.
• Empty the thick mixture into a greased pan.
• Once it cools, garnish it with Varg and silvered almonds.
• Cut it into pieces and serve.
If Milk is Not for You
While there are plenty of you who can consume milk, some of you may suffer from lactose intolerance. For them, there are other healthy alternatives like almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, and rice milk. These alternatives have the same protein content as that of cow milk and provide a lot of benefits if consumed daily.
Milk is one of the healthiest and essential elements to include in your diet. With its multifarious properties, milk provides you energy, immunity and strength. But, it is also important not to overdo. Make sure you know the proportion in which you should consume milk daily.
For more information on which food you should include in your diet, download FITPASS. Its in-app diet and nutrition solution, FITFEAST, would help you to get in touch with expert nutritionists available 24/7. You can also keep a check on your calories with its calorie tracker, log your meals and set water alarms.