dairy

Dairy products include milk, cream, yoghurt, crème fraiche and butter. They are a good source of calcium, essential for keeping our bones and teeth healthy.

They also provide a non-meat source of protein, which is useful for vegetarians.

Dairy products can have quite a high fat content, and so lower fat varieties are often a better choice. This is not always the case though, for example manufacturers often put "light" or "low fat" on yoghurts to make them sound healthier options. The truth is though, that they nearly always add in loads of sugar, sweeteners or other additives to make them taste as though nothing has been taken out.

Dairy products are also a great source of calcium, essential for bone growth in our formative years and continuing health of bones and teeth as we get older.

Some ways to reduce the fat content of dairy products include:

• Choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of full cream.
• Use natural low fat yoghurt or crème fraiche instead of cream.
• Use stronger cheeses as the fuller flavour means you are less likely to eat too much of it.