Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN, FAND
October 12th is National Farmer’s Day! We are grateful for all farmers – big and small, especially our local dairy farmers that ensure we have great quality fresh milk in our stores! Milk is a delicious choice; an affordable, convenient and sustainable drink that has been an important part of foodways around the world for thousands of years. We have some great products in our milk case and dairy aisle – see the insights below as we spotlight a few choices for you!
Good to know – Dairy farmers work 365 days per year, taking great care of their cows and ensuring the highest quality and safety standards from cow to cup. Dairy farmers are also continually driving the science and practices that make dairy farming sustainable in every way possible. Learn more about the many ways dairy farms are ensuring sustainability is top of mind! Dairy Farming Environmental Impact | American Dairy Association NE.
Chocolate Milk is a wellbeing champion! It is the most popular drink in schools, which is good news – it is the leading source of critical nutrients for millions of school children. Milk and chocolate milk fuel growth and hydration, offering a thirteen-nutrient package that includes protein for muscle growth, calcium and magnesium that build lifelong bone health, and Vitamin D and potassium, two nutrients that are often below intake recommendations for children and adults. Research shows that children who drink chocolate milk have higher overall nutrient intakes than those who do not, while keeping adding sugars to a minimum.
Lactose-free Milk – Some people have challenges digesting lactose, the natural sugar in milk. This is called Lactose Intolerance. It is not an allergic reaction – it is very manageable using real milk products that have reduced that lactose content, along with strategies that can even help restore lactose digestion over time. Lactose-free milk can be a game changer, ensuring those with this issue can still enjoy milk and get all its nutrition benefits. Dairy products that are naturally low in lactose, such as natural cheese and yogurts, can usually be enjoyed by those navigating this concern.
Explore our milk and dairy aisles, there is always something delicious and nutritious waiting there for you! Scan the QR code for this amazing Pumpkin Pie In a Glass Smoothie recipe and join us as we celebrate #NationalFarmersDay!
#UndeniablyDairy
Check out this delicious Pumpkin Pie in a Glass!
Written by our friends at the American Dairy Association
Milk goes from farm to grocery store in about 48 hours 365 days a year. Have you ever wondered how it is possible for this process to happen so quickly? Let’s talk about milk’s journey from cow to cup.
On the Farm
Dairy farmers like Kings Brother Dairy make sure milk is safe and nutritious every day and that process starts at the farm.
In the Barn
Cows need to be cared for to stay content and healthy – and produce great milk. Dairy farmers work 365 days a year making sure cows are comfortable, with the right food, water, bedding and veterinary care. Whether a farm is big or small, the cows and land are well cared for.
Transportation
Tanker trucks pick milk up at the dairy farm – for some farms, this is multiple times each day. The milk is tested for safety and quality on the farm and again at the dairy processing plant to ensure every tanker truck of milk is safe and pure.
Milk Processing
Garelick is the processor that Price Chopper uses to provide strict quality controls at every step of processing to ensure freshness, purity and great taste. Human hands never touch the milk and strict temperature rules must be followed.
Once at the processing plant, milk is pasteurized, homogenized, and bottled or turned into cheese, yogurt or another delicious dairy product.
At Price Chopper and Market 32, we strive to keep milk fresh, cold and well stocked so you can bring it home to your family.
Whether you choose skim, whole milk or lactose-free milk, your milk comes from a good place, and you can feel good about the 13 essential nutrients it provides – as well as the care the farmer puts into the cows and planet.
Written by our friends at the American Dairy Association
Focus on including dairy in your kids’ meals during this back-to-school time. Milk, cheese and yogurt help kids grow up strong because they deliver a unique combination of essential nutrients. They also keep kids energized throughout their day, keeping them focused throughout the school day.
Here are two easy ways to fuel their day with dairy:
- Have a smoothie before school.
A smoothie made with real milk and yogurt is a simple and easy way to pack a lot of nutrition into one glass and kids love them! This delicious strawberry acai smoothie is the perfect way to start their day.
Strawberry Acai Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup milk
6 ounces strawberry yogurt
1 cup slide strawberries, fresh or frozen
1-ince piece of ginger, peeled
2 small beets, cooked and cooled
1 teaspoon acai powder
Preparation:
In a blender, combine milk, yogurt, strawberries, ginger and beets. Blend over high speed until smooth. Serve immediately.
2. Include dairy in lunchboxes.
Adding individual milks, snacking cheeses and yogurts to your kid’s lunch boxes is another easy way to fuel their day with dairy. Not only are these dairy products affordable, accessible, and nutritious they have key nutrients that play an important role in child nutrition by supporting growth and development.
Try a few of these pairings from this resource:
Written by our friends at the American Dairy Association
June is National Dairy Month and there is no better way to celebrate than with Real Smoothies made with Real Dairy. A smoothie made with wholesome milk or yogurt is a delicious way to get high-quality protein and other essential nutrients that your body needs to help fuel your day. Making smoothies with real dairy is a great way to honor the hardworking dairy farmers behind the milk and dairy products making it to your table every day.
A refreshing smoothie is a simple and easy way to pack a lot of nutrients into one glass. To get the most nutrition from your smoothie, make it with real milk or yogurt.
Milk makes an excellent base for any smoothie. Milk is a go-to source of protein as well as a powerful package of 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, and several B vitamins. Milk also has immunity-boosting nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Zinc, and protein. Add more or less milk, depending on how thick you like your smoothie.
Yogurt also makes a great addition to a smoothie. Yogurt is another excellent source of protein and 9 essential nutrients. All yogurts are made with live and active cultures, and some also provide probiotics – or good bacteria – that may help maintain digestive health, boost immunity, fight infection and protect against diseases. Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier in texture because it is strained during processing to remove liquid whey, which is also why Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in lactose and calcium.
Check out these delicious smoothie recipes that can be made with real milk and Greek yogurt!
Peanut Butter Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 banana, frozen
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- Garnish: mini chocolate chips
Preparation:
- In a blender, combine milk, yogurt, banana, and peanut butter. Pour into glasses and top with chocolate chips. Serve immediately.
Spinach Orange Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2 mandarins, peeled
- 1 medium banana, peeled
- ½ cup raw spinach
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
Preparation:
- In a blender, combine Mandarin oranges, banana, Spinach, milk, and vanilla yogurt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
Click here find these amazing recipes and more!
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
June is National Dairy Month, and we have a lot of delicious and nutritious ways to celebrate with you all month long! As a registered dietitian-nutritionist, and a dairy lover, I am very sure dairy is the real deal – wholesome, versatile and a culinary champion used in an amazing variety of foods and recipes. To kick off this celebration, we have some great smoothie recipes to share! They are the perfect way to pack the benefits of Real Dairy into an easy-to-enjoy treat!
Fueling up with the full package of 13 nutrients milk adds to your glass is a great way to honor the hard work of the farmers that ensure it is available to you and your family every day. Those nutrients include calcium, phosphorous and B vitamins, which support bone strength and energy metabolism. Milk is a good source of high-quality protein, and contains Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and zinc. Together they help build immunity, support healing, and help grow and protect muscles. Traditional and Greek yogurt are made with live cultures and contain some probiotics, which improve gut health. So many benefits!
Greek yogurt is thick and creamy, its satisfying texture delivered by straining some of the liquid whey, resulting in higher protein content and lower lactose and calcium. You can use milk and Greek yogurt in your Real Dairy Smoothie, and change the recipe amounts to taste if you like!
We celebrate throughout National Dairy Month – add these ideas to your calendar and join in the fun all month long!
June 1 – World Milk Day – Lift your Glass!
June 4th – Cheese Day
June 7th – Choc Ice Cream Day
June 14th – Strawberry Shortcake Day
June 20th – Milkshake Day
June 20th – Ice Cream Soda Day
June 21 – Smoothie Day
June 25th – Strawberry Parfait Day – (could be a yogurt and strawberry parfait)
June 27th Ice Cream Cake Day
Milk Makes It Better
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN Senior Nutritionist
World Milk Day is June 1st every year, kicking off National Dairy Month! Milk brings so much to the table – on its own, a refreshing, nutritious, local food that is sustainable and sustaining – milk’s 9- nutrient package improves the nutrition quality of every meal and snack it accompanies. I love the opportunity to pair milk, cheese or yogurt with all kinds of produce – flavor, texture and benefit all come together in many delicious ways! I am a dairy “agvocate” – science and practice as a nutrition professional has shown me the many benefits of including milk and milk products in meals and snacks, and we will showcase some delicious, nutritious meal and snack ideas, especially for family meals, all month long!
Milk is the definition of comfort food – one of those things everyone buys when the weather forecast is turning, one of the ingredients in almost every one of your grandmother’s recipes, and what so many of us reach for and enjoy when we are just browsing in our own refrigerators! Milk is also what so many families ask for when they are struggling with healthy food access – parents know milk is a smart way to ensure children have the energy and nutrients they need to grow and thrive. Consider sharing this bountiful beverage with your neighbors and food banks through the Fill A Glass with Hope milk donation campaign this month. Fun fact – chocolate milk is a great recover drink, for kids and adults working and playing hard!
Taste rules – milk is a culinary team player, incredibly versatile, and always seasonal. In fact, fresh Price Chopper milk is a true local product, and goes from cow to cup in 48 hours or less! Savory or sweet, milk does it all – sauces, desserts, smoothies, the latest coffee beverage, soups, stews, appetizers or casseroles! Adding milk to your family meals is affordable and just one extra glass per day can close some nutrient gaps for adults and children. Winner, winner, milk with dinner – Enjoy!
Spring Sausage Vegetable Strata
Raise a Glass to Dairy Month!
Ellie Wilson, MS, RDN Senior Nutritionist
COUNTRY CROCK BUTTERY STICKS
Country Crock knows you want to feel good about what you feed your family. That’s why they make Country Crock with the goodness of plants. Real simple ingredients you can recognize and pronounce. It all about providing a source of good fats along with a country fresh taste the whole family will enjoy.
Country Crock Unsalted and Salted Buttery sticks are made with Sunflower Oil and have a delicious country fresh taste your family will love. They can be used one for one like butter in your favorite recipes. They have a soft and creamy texture so they are easy to mix straight out of the refrigerator, meaning you don’t waste any time waiting for them to soften.
Look for Country Crock Buttery Sticks in the Dairy aisle. 
On Friday, August 4th our team headed north to visit two manufacturing facilities of HP Hood. Hood has been a strategic Dairy partner to Price Chopper for decades; producing many of our Price Chopper and PICS dairy products.
The team started the day at the HP Hood plant in Vernon, NY. This plant produces Price Chopper brand Greek yogurt, as well as Hood cottage cheese. The milk sourced for their Dairy production comes from local farms within a 50 miles radius of the plant. We’re proud of our local roots and being able to source #homegrown milk for our Price Chopper Greek yogurt! The team also toured ESL processing plant in Oneida, NY where Hood branded creams, coffee creamers, and a variety of plant-based and lactose-free milks are made and packaged. The tour of the facilities was nothing short of impressive! Hood’s dedication to quality, innovation and service was evident in their state-of-the-art operation!
HP Hood is one of the largest branded dairy operators in the U.S. as well as an experienced leader in ESL (extended-shelf-life) & aseptic processing and packaging.
Thanks to the team at HP Hood for inviting us in! We had a great day moo-ving around the plants!
Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets
Better & Better
From the outside looking in, it might appear that getting milk from cow to cup is actually a very old farming tradition that has been adapted and improved and is no big deal now. It might look like there is not a lot of room for innovation, or that it isn’t really needed – you don’t hear about many problems with dairy, right? You can feel confident in the quality of Price Chopper milk, cream and half and half because there are many safety and quality checks and procedures that go into turning raw milk into all of these wholesome products.
It starts at the farm – I already shared some of the procedures that help the farmer get milk ready to be picked up by the tanker truck. Garelick field rep Jackie inspects the farm periodically to ensure they are maintaining their safety practices and supports John with any updates or recommendations that have been identified. Next, the tanker truck has to pump the milk into the two separate holding tanks in the truck and seal those tanks. When the tanker gets to the plant, it is quarantined outside the building, and a lab tech comes out to verify the seals, then open the two compartments and take samples to the lab. If the seal is broken, or anything is detected by the lab, that milk cannot enter the plant. The milk is checked for any substances that don’t belong – like antibiotic residue, or high bacteria count. It is also checked for quality measures, like butterfat content. This is all tracked and is part of the information Garelick Farms sends back to John Green that he uses to take care of his cows.
Once the technician gives the ok, the truck can move into one of two bays and the milk is transferred into the raw milk silos. Then the tanker is cleaned and sanitized so it can go back out for pick ups. If the schedule is working, they move a truck in and out every 1 ½ hours. Jeniece Goellner, the plant quality manager, ensures that all of the quality and safety procedures happen at every critical point in the process where something could go wrong and compromise the quality of the milk. This requires great attention to detail, constant consideration on how to improve the process, and passion – which plant manager Dave shared is a key ingredient from the many long term, committed workers that are part of the plant team. This process is so well coordinated, there are only about 10 tanker rejections out of over 1100 tanker deliveries per year. The milk is bottled, labeled and moved into cold storage.
Each Price Chopper store has a dairy manager who tracks milk sales and sends an order in to Garelick Farms for exactly what they need each day. That order goes to the plant and then to Garelick employees like Isaac Seldman. He reviews and assembles each order, and out they go to the trucks for store delivery. This is why the milk is so fresh – it can be from cow to cup in less than 24 hours, sometimes even in 12 hours!
So there it is – your cow to cup tour. In addition to the milk itself, I hope you can see that there is a lot of passion, commitment, and connection poured into that cup. Enjoy a glass of Price Chopper milk today!