Since June is National Dairy Month, it might just be a good time for people to think about how dairy might fit into their daily diet. Even though 48% of Americans are lactose intolerant to some degree, dairy products are still an important part of many people’s diets. And why wouldn’t they be?

Cheese, milk, and ice cream are some of the tastiest foods a person can enjoy. Dairy products also provide much-needed nutrients such as calcium, protein, potassium, and phosphorus.

For everyone who can enjoy dairy products, this month is a good time to do so. That’s why we recommend everyone grab a wheel of cheese, a glass of milk, or a bowl of yogurt and party hard all through the month of June.

The History of National Dairy Month

This observance originally began in 1937 as National Milk Month. It was created during the Great Depression to encourage people to drink more milk. The intent of this month was to stabilize the demand for dairy products.

There was a surplus of dairy products, but the demand for them was low. That needed to change immediately, so this month was invented. Eventually, the name of this month was changed from National Milk Month to National Dairy Month, and it has been observed under that name ever since.

Tasty Facts About Dairy Products

We needed to dig into some tasty facts about dairy products, so we decided to do some research on the subject and milk it for all it’s worth. Below are some facts about dairy products that we think everyone can appreciate. Let’s take a look at these facts below.

• Dairy farms in the U.S. produce over 21 billion gallons of milk each year.
• The average American consumes about 25 gallons of milk each year.
• The state of California ranks 1st in milk production in the U.S., not Illinois.
• Approximately 65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant.
• A cow will drink up to 50 gallons of water and eat up to 100 pounds of food every single day.
• A cow is more valuable for its cheese, yogurt, butter, and milk than it is for its beef.

Observing National Dairy Month

For people who aren’t lactose intolerant and plan on observing this month, there are a lot of dairy-centric recipes that they can choose from. Some of the dairy dishes that we like include Baked Eggs Florentine Casserole, Cherry Rhubarb Smoothie, Banana Bread Overnight Oats, and Blueberry Cheesecake.

Of course, that’s only a small sampling of all the dairy dishes that a person could choose to create during this month. No matter what recipe a person chooses, they should take the time to use the hashtag #NationalDairyMonth on social media to spread the word about it.