MSU Extension Nutrition

Welcome to Lesson 6 in our 6-part Cook Healthy, Spend Less series! The previous lesson covered safe food storage and product dating, fruits as a food group, and how to safely freeze foods for later. In this final lesson, you are wrapping up the series by exploring ways to stay active as part of a daily routine, learning about dairy as a food group, and reviewing a guide to common cooking techniques and how they work. 

Staying Active as Part of Our Daily Routine  

Healthy eating and physical activity are both important for your health. What you eat gives your body fuel, and moving your body helps keep it strong and healthy. Being physically active can improve your quality of life in many ways. It’s time to get up and get moving! Here are some benefits of physical activity: 

• Protects your heart and lowers the risk of chronic diseases. 

• Improves balance and helps prevent falls. 

• Builds heart and muscle strength. 

• Boosts mood and supports mental health. 

How much physical activity do you need?  

In general, the more physical activity you can do, the better. Sometimes we face limitations to what we can do physically. Adults should aim for 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week and include muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week for the best health benefits. The intensity of exercise can be measured using the talk test, which states that while doing a moderate-intensity workout, an individual should be able to speak but not sing. If you can’t meet the guidelines, do what you can to get as much physical activity as possible. See this MSU Extension Physical Activity website for more information and ideas on ways to incorporate physical activity as part of your daily routine — even in the winter or if pregnant!  

Bonus: MSU Extension’s falls prevention programs can help older adults exercise and reduce the fear of falling. Learn more about these programs here! 

Just like being physically active supports your health, the foods and drinks you choose, such as dairy products, also play an important role in keeping your body strong and energized. 

Food group of the week: Dairy 

The dairy group includes milk and milk‑based foods that retain their calcium, such as yogurt and cheese. Foods like cream cheese, cream, and butter are made from milk but lose most of their calcium, so they are not considered part of the dairy group. Fortified non‑dairy alternatives, such as soymilk, are included because they provide similar nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D. 

Aim for about 3 cups of dairy each day.

Dairy foods are nutrient‑dense and provide key vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium that support overall health. Choosing pasteurized dairy helps you enjoy these benefits while lowering the risk of foodborne illness. 

Here are a few tips for incorporating more dairy: 

• Drink a glass of milk. 
• Add milk to oatmeal, cereal, or smoothies. 
• Snack on a yogurt parfait. 
• Add cheese to a salad. 
  
• Make a dip out of Greek yogurt for fruits and veggies. 

Make Time for Movement  

For this lesson’s physical activity break, let’s pretend to make a smoothie now and think about making a real smoothie later!  

For more movement ideas, visit the MSU Extension Physical Activity Website. 

Let’s Get Cooking  

We hope you enjoyed the 6-lesson email course on basics of nutrition, food safety, and cooking tips! We want to provide you with an overview of the cooking techniques as you put all this information together and explore new methods and flavors. The way a food is cooked can affect its flavor, texture, and nutrition. Some cooking methods add moisture, others use dry heat for crispiness, and some involve cooking with fat or special appliances.  

Learn more different cooking methods from MSU Extension's Guide to Cooking Techniques and How They Work.

Featured Recipe 

We are wrapping it up with an easy pizza recipe with toppings of your choice – you can add your favorite proteins, vegetables, or even fruits to your pizza. This recipe uses mozzarella cheese to help you include dairy as part of a balanced, healthy meal. Enjoy! 

Bonus: A smoothie can be a great snack and can be healthy because it combines fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients into one drink that provides vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein to support overall health. You can customize smoothies using your favorite fruits and vegetables or add nut butter for extra protein. Try this strawberry shake recipe:

For more budget-friendly, healthy recipe ideas, check out the MSU Extension Recipes Website! 

Thank you for participating in the MSU Extension Cook Healthy, Spend Less email series!
We hope you enjoyed these lessons. If you have questions or would like to connect with one of our Extension Educators, please reach out through Ask Extension.

Learn more here about other MSU Extension Food and Health programs. 

This lesson is part of the six‑part Cook Healthy, Spend Less email series. Sign up here to have each lesson delivered weekly by email.