(Family Features) During the busy back-to-school time, it’s easy for nutrition to take a back seat in the rush to get out the door in the morning and to all of the after-school activities on time. Something as simple as a glass of milk gives children essential nutrients they need to start the school year strong.

“No matter how busy I may be getting my two kids out the door for school, I always make sure they start their day with a glass of milk with breakfast,” said Holley Grainger, a registered dietitian and mother. “I feel confident sending them to school knowing that they have the protein and essential nutrients they need to keep them fueled and healthy for the day ahead.”

Moms like Holley know that good nutrition is essential to their child’s health. Here are a few reasons why milk should be a go-to staple in every child’s diet:

• Fuel the morning with protein: It’s important that kids get protein at every meal, especially breakfast. In fact, getting enough protein at breakfast can help kids feel full, satisfied and focused, so they won’t feel hungry by mid-morning. One eight-ounce glass of milk provides nine essential nutrients, including eight grams of high-quality protein.

• Bone-building nutrients: Many kids are falling short on important nutrients that they need to grow up strong – including calcium, vitamin D and potassium. So much so that these three have been identified as nutrients of concern by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee as nutrients that are most likely to be missing from kids’ diets – and milk is the top food source for them.

• Milk it for all it’s worth: At just about 25 cents per glass, milk is one of the most affordable ways to give kids nutritious protein. Not only do kids enjoy it, but penny for penny, other protein sources, such as fish or beef, can’t compare to the amount packed in a glass of milk.

• An irreplaceable powerhouse: When compared to plant-based milks, such as almond milk, dairy milk is a nutrient powerhouse, naturally providing nutrients that almond milk only gets by being fortified. In addition, an eight-ounce glass of dairy milk provides eight times more protein than a glass of almond milk. And the ingredient list for real milk is short – simply milk and vitamins D and A.

• Safe and satisfying: Many people don’t realize that from the farm to the grocery store, milk is one of safest foods you can buy, as it is highly regulated and undergoes numerous tests to assure its safety and wholesomeness. Milk is minimally processed and often locally delivered. Also, the pasteurization process is a simple one, making it easy to be sure your milk is always safe to drink.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend three servings of lowfat or fat free milk and milk products each day for kids over the age of 8, and two and a half servings for children ages 4 to 8.

Milk is a wholesome and nutrient-rich choice you can feel good about serving to your family. For more information about the health benefits of milk, visit milklife.com.

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