Healthy eating with dairy foods.

Eating a balanced diet is essential to staying healthy. If you are concerned about hypertension, health experts recommend some important dietary modifications. For years, they have suggested maintaining an ideal weight, reducing sodium intake, and moderate consumption of alcohol. Now, they believe it's also important to be sure to get the recommended daily allowance of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Calcium is one of the body's key minerals. In addition to building strong bones, it plays a lifesaving role in heart, nerve, blood, and muscle function. While dairy products account for more than three-quarters of the calcium in the food supply, they contribute only 12% of the fat. With so many food choices available, it is possible to watch calcium consumption and calories at the same time.

Dairy products are the only foods naturally rich in potassium and magnesium. If, like most Americans, you are not getting all the calcium, magnesium, and potassium you need, here are a few ideas for incorporating dairy products into your diet:

* Make them part of each meal. Prepare hot cereal with milk instead of water. For lunch, fill a melon with cottage cheese or yogurt, or add a slice of cheese to your sandwich. Toss some grated cheese into a dinner salad or onto a vegetable side dish.

* For extra calcium, add powdered milk to soups, casseroles, and sauces. This will retain the creamy thick texture, rather than diluting the mixture with liquids.

* Know serving sizes. While you might assume you are consuming adequate levels of calcium each day, you may be shortchanging yourself and getting less than the recommended three servings. Either an eight-ounce glass of milk, one cup of yogurt, or one and a half slices of cheese are considered one serving.

* Choose sources that deliver more calcium to the body. Compared with dairy products, other foods are less efficient...