Dairy Foods Holiday Inspirations-Part 1

As the end of 2013 quickly approaches and we all begin to get caught up in the holiday frenzy, The Daily Dose of Dairy Friday blog will tone down a bit until we welcome in the New Year. For the remaining Fridays in 2013, this blog spot will showcase dairy foods and marketing programs new to this holiday season. Hopefully these innovations will spark some ideas you can still implement this year or retain and use for next year.
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Medical Nutrition Expert and Registered Dietitian Has the Prescription to Trim the Trimmings, Beat the Bloat and Entertain Digestively Diverse Guests This Holiday Season 


As many of us know, the holidays can quickly go from “ho, ho, ho” to “ho, ho, oh no!” With so many rich foods to eat, it’s easy to over indulge and pay the price in the form of digestive distress, not to mention the stress of preparing a meal that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their dietary restrictions.

According to Registered Dietitian Tamara Freuman, who specializes in medical nutrition therapy for digestive disorders, ‘tis the season for taking a more proactive approach to preventing holiday bloat by including probiotic-rich dairy foods. One of her favorite sources is the Flourish custom blend of 10 live active probiotic cultures, which is only found in Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farm dairy products.

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This holiday season, consumers can indulge their cravings consciously with a few simple swaps that will help trim down the trimmings, beat belly bloat, avoid digestive dilemmas and please every palate at the table.

“I recommend adding one-to-two daily doses of cultured, probiotic-rich dairy products to help boost the population of friendly bacteria in your digestive system during the holidays and Flourish is an excellent source,” says Freuman, who in addition to her clinical work is a gluten-free blogger for US NEWS & WORLD REPORT’s eat+run health page and hosts a popular blog devoted to healthy eating and gluten-free living at TamaraFreuman.com.

“The diverse population of bacteria in your gut appear to have a hand in everything from keeping your digestive tract running smoothly and boosting immunity to how you metabolize sugar and manufacturing key vitamins to protect from harmful bacteria,” she says. 

What is Freuman’s go-to ingredient for healthy holiday eating and entertaining everyone can enjoy? The answer is kefir.

“Kefir is an even more convenient way to get the health benefits of probiotic-rich dairy,” she says. “Use plain kefir as a substitute for high-calorie, high-fat buttermilk, cream or condensed milk in all kinds of holiday recipes, from Old-Fashioned Brandied Pumpkin Pie and Holiday Eggnog to Creamy Parsnip Potato Mash.

“No one needs the 820 calories and 325 milligrams of cholesterol per cup that heavy cream brings to the table, and by replacing all dairy ingredients with lactose-free versions and swapping out the heavy cream for heart-healthy kefir or lactose-free sour cream, your dairy-friendly guests won’t notice any difference in taste or texture, but your lactose-intolerant guests will appreciate being able to partake in the full meal without paying for it later,” she says.

Promote probiotics this holiday season!