Welcome to the parents section of the 'Discover Dairy' website, which has been designed to educate parents, students, teachers and school canteens about the benefits of consuming three serves of dairy (a glass of milk, a piece of cheese and a tub of yogurt) every day, as part of a balanced diet.

'Discovery Dairy' was developed to address the issue that the majority of Australian children do not consume enough calcium, potentially putting them at risk of poor bone health. The latest Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey¹ revealed that 35 to 89% of children between the ages of 9 and 16 consume less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) for calcium.

According to the survey, the dairy food intake (relative to the rest of their diet) declines once children reach school age. Children between the ages of 12 and 16 are most likely to consume less calcium than the estimated average requirement (EAR) and 82 to 89% of girls in this age bracket did not meet the EAR for calcium.

Click on the image below to view the 'Are your students getting enough calcium?' PDF (713 kb).

Dairy foods provide a total health package, not only as the richest and best source of calcium for Australians, but also because they naturally contain many other nutrients that are essential for good health. And because dairy foods taste great it's easy to enjoy them every day!

Students can enter the 'Discover Dairy' website via a fun game (you might like to test your skills too).

There are currently three modules for you to choose from. They are titled Unbeatable Bones, Fuel for Life and the newest module is From Farm to Plate. The modules are accessible via the left-hand menu, and they also have designated sections for students, teachers and school canteen managers and staff.

It will be worth your while revisiting 'Discover Dairy' on a regular basis because further modules will be added to the website in the coming months.

 

¹ 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.