How are changing dairy habits in the U.S. impacting our health?
MINNEAPOLIS — Americans are now eating more cheese than ever before, but, at the same time, we're drinking less milk.
In 1975, the average American drank 29 gallons of milk per year. The amount fell to 15 gallons in 2023.
Meanwhile, Americans are eating more cheese — from an average of 14 pounds per year in 1975 to a whopping 40 pounds in 2023.
"For those people that don't like to drink milk or choose a dairy alternative, looking at cheese as a good source of calcium, it would be a great option too," Janelle Melgeorge Anderson, a registered dietitian at M Health Fairview, said. "People can take calcium supplements again anytime we can eat a food that we actually can consume and get that digested our bodies, it's going to be a better choice."
The USDA says about 90% of Americans don't get enough dairy per day.
Melgeorge Anderson says calcium is particularly important for younger kids and older adults to strengthen bones.
Mitch Wildermuth, of Edina, had been in a Got Milk commercial as a kid.
"There's a campaign that came to our school and they gave us all milk mustaches. And then we talked about how much we liked milk. So I was on TV when I was probably 17 for the Got Milk campaign," he said.
Now, Wildermuth's stomach doesn't tolerate milk as much.
"Sometimes as people age, they can become lactose intolerant," Melgeorge Anderson said.
Certain cheeses and yogurts have less lactose and can be tolerated.
"I would say, get your calcium however you want to get your calcium," Melgeorge Anderson said.
Federal dietary guidelines recommend that kids and adults consume two to three cups of dairy per day.
