Cheese and Milk Identified as Foods to Eat in 2026

 

Nutrition policy expert Marion Nestle and professor at NYU has three decades of experience in the public and private spheres. Her new book—What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why it Matters—reinforces dairy’s positive image in the world of food and nutrition. 

In an aisle-by-aisle guide, Nestle takes readers through the American supermarket. She establishes the basics of good nutrition, food safety, and ethical and sustainable eating. Dairy foods are part of her lesson plan. 

Nestle recommends what she calls a “triple duty” diet aimed at preventing hunger, obesity and climate change. “Eat real food, processed as little as possible, with a big emphasis on plants,” she says. And when she says plants, she means plants, e.g., whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, etc.

In numerous interviews published this week, she described her dairy diet. It is:

Breakfast: A couple cups of weak coffee with milk and no sugar. Then oatmeal or unsweetened Shredded Wheat with a little brown sugar—much less than in presweetened cereals—and seasonal fresh fruit. 

Lunch: These meals are “totally irregular.” Sometimes a salad, sometimes whatever is on hand at home, including vegetables and fruits from her own terrace garden, along with cheese, peanuts and bread.

Dinner: Equally flexible, and it sounds a little like lunch. “I just don’t eat that much. But I do really like salads. I can have salads twice a day. If I’m at home, I might have an egg. I might have crackers and cheese with that. I kind of like making meals based on what I have available.”

Take note of her consumption of milk and cheese. This is a major win for dairy, as her book is selling and being read by Americans. 

Indeed, dairy is winning with consumers. The national checkoff is helping lead the charge, thanks to investments in research, marketing, partnerships and innovation. That was the message from Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) President and CEO Barbara O’Brien at the 2025 Joint Annual Meeting of the United Dairy Industry Association, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the National Milk Producers Federation, which drew nearly 800 farmers and industry representatives to Arlington, Texas, earlier this week.

According to Circana retail data, dollar and unit sales are up across eight of 10 top-dairy segments and real dairy products are growing nearly 6% year over year. Across key refrigerated categories, dairy products generate seven times more sales than plant-based alternatives, which are now in decline.

Three out of four U.S. households purchased a dairy product in the past week, O’Brien said. Nearly two-thirds specifically bought milk, cheese or yogurt. 

“When it comes to dairy, consumers are looking for the real thing,” she said. “And that didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of research, collaboration and consistent farmer investment.”

The meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Oral “Jug” Capps Jr., executive and regents professor at Texas A&M University, who has evaluated dairy promotion programs since 2011. His independent economic analysis showed substantial positive impacts from checkoff-funded efforts in four key areas: domestic foodservice partnerships, fluid milk innovation, whole-fat science and dairy exports.

The findings include:

• Foodservice partnerships with McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Domino’s contributed to 18.5 billion additional pounds of dairy sold at retail, providing $875.9 million cumulatively to farmers from 2009 to 2024. For every dollar invested by dairy farmers and importers, Capps’ research found the net return is $3.49.
• Fluid milk innovation from 2018 to 2024 contributed 10.4 additional pounds sold per dollar spent, totaling $121.5 million in benefit and a return of $1.68.
• Whole-fat science research from 2012 to 2024 generated 8.2 billion additional pounds sold and nearly $400 million in cumulative value for a return of $34.55.
• Dairy export promotion resulted in 43.5 additional pounds exported per dollar spent, translating to $4.6 billion in value to farmers from 2013 to 2024, returning $12.17 on the dollar.

Building Trust Through Science, Storytelling

O’Brien said a major emphasis of the past year has been building consumer trust by addressing what DMI calls “Fuels and Frictions.” These are the factors that either strengthen or challenge dairy’s reputation. Checkoff programs leaned into dairy’s “fuels” of taste, health and science-backed nutrition while addressing “frictions,” such as questions about animal care and sustainability.

“Trust builds when people understand who we are, what we stand for and how we care for our animals, land and communities,” O’Brien said. “That’s why our marketing and communication efforts meet consumers where they are, whether it’s in schools, fitness programs, food shows or even online gaming platforms.”

DMI’s checkoff-funded research continues to yield new insights that strengthen dairy’s position in the health and wellness landscape. More than 40 active studies are underway exploring dairy’s benefits for heart, gut and mental health, along with the Mayo Clinic collaboration to advance understanding of dairy’s role in cardiovascular and metabolic wellness.

Recent studies and nutrition research have shown that dairy fat behaves differently than other saturated fats because of the dairy food matrix. This is the unique way that dairy protein and calcium interacts with milkfat interact in dairy. This combination can support heart and metabolic health outcomes when dairy is part of healthy eating patterns. These findings suggest that cheese consumption is not associated with increased heart disease risk and that dairy foods at a range of fat levels can be part of a healthy diet, according to the International Dairy Foods Associations’ Messaging Guide: Full-Fat Dairy Is Back, October 2025.

Dairy innovations is on fire. O’Brien said innovation extends across the supply chain. 

“Producers are diversifying their operations and focusing on milk that meets modern market needs,” she said. “You’ve driven remarkable progress in milk composition and efficiency, and processors have followed suit, investing over $11 billion in new and expanded processing capacity. That’s transformation in motion, and checkoff-funded science helped spark it.”

Marilyn Hershey, DMI chair and Pennsylvania dairy farmer, added, “Our dairy consumption is at an all-time high, full fat is celebrated, protein is powerful and we want to keep that momentum rolling. And we need to! A few years before my parents started dairy farming, each farmer was feeding 25 people. Today, we are responsible for approximately 166 people worldwide. And that number will only grow, but the responsibility is real.”

Consumers are embracing dairy’s role in a balanced diet. As Nestle acknowledges, cheese is real food with real nutrition. It can be a meal or a snack.

“We’re witnessing the end of the ‘health versus happiness’ trade-off in the dairy aisle,” said Richard Neish, director, CI Trend Intelligence at IFF Taste. “The consumer’s desire for holistic well-being now extends beyond personal health to that of the planet. This shift toward ethical consumption means a product’s purpose and its impact on surrounding ecosystems are just as crucial as its nutritional benefits. The brands that will lead the future are those that prove a product can be a treat for the soul, precisely because it’s rooted in transparent, sustainable practices.”

IFF identifies five trends set to shape the dairy market in 2026. Together, they signal a shift from price-led decisions to more purpose-driven choices. They are: 

1. Considered Consumption is emerging as the dominant force. IFF reports rising demand for multifunctional dairy products that align with social and environmental value, with dairy’s functional and versatile positioning continuing to strengthen.
2. The report highlights rising interest in Wholistic Health, a 360-degree approach to physical and emotional wellbeing. Protein fortification and probiotics have become baseline expectations. Demand is increasing for nutrient-dense dairy formats that support satiety and help maintain muscle mass. 
3. Consumers are seeking Joyful Harmony through indulgence that does not compromise health. Cheese is singled out as a category with rising emotional appeal. This is opening opportunities for premium snacking formats, flavored profiles and playful textures.
4. Regenerative Resilience is about a shift from sustainability as damage limitation to regeneration as a proactive restoration strategy. 
5. Human + AI explores how the industry is negotiating the integration of artificial intelligence into product development. While businesses are accelerating AI-driven innovation, consumers want reassurance that craft, care and human expertise remain central. IFF argues that discreet, ethical AI use can strengthen trust rather than dilute it.