may be associated with unhealthy weight gain (3).



“There is a calcium deficiency especially among children and adolescents. Many are choosing sugary soft drinks instead of milk. Barbara said. “Milk contains nine essential vitamins and nutrients including calcium and protein.” she added.



Many Hispanic moms believe that whole milk is of greater nutritional value than fat-free or non-fat milk. “I wasn’t aware that whole milk and low-fat and fat-free milk contains the same nutrients. Recently the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended switching from whole milk to low-fat or fat-free milk around a child’s second birthday because it will provide the child with all the essential nutrients but without the added fat. And that is very good”, says Barbara Mori.



Role modeling

Parents are instrumental in teaching their kids healthy eating habits from an early age. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that when mothers make milk part of the meal time routine, not only do their children drink more milk, but they get more calcium, which is critical for bone growth (4).



As a mother, this is particularly important to Barbara. “As a mom, my job is to teach my son good nutritional habits so that he can grow up healthy and strong. So his nutrition is my priority. It’s my whole life. I taught him to drink three glasses of milk a day since he was little and now he does it on his own and likes it too!” said Barbara.