1. It’s fresh and local. Milk takes only two to three days to get from the farm to the store. That includes all the quality testing, pasteurizing and packaging.

2. 8 grams of protein. In every glass. Your muscles are rejoicing!

3. Buy one protein, get one free. Besides having lots of protein, milk has two different kinds: casein and whey. One is absorbed slowly, the other quickly – which means a single glass of milk feeds your body protein both short term and long term.

4. Whatever fat version = high nutrition. Low-fat and non-fat milk still have all the same nutrients as whole milk.  And at less than 10 percent of daily calories per serving. All forms supply 30 percent of your daily calcium, 25 percent of your vitamin D, and 10 percent of potassium needs.

5. Best bang for your buck (or two). Though the price of a gallon of milk can fluctuate slightly, milk still comes to about a quarter per cup. You won’t find that many nutrients for that great price with any other food.

6. Dairy loves your heart. It’s high in calcium, potassium and magnesium – three nutrients recommended for maintaining healthy blood pressure.

7. Milk brightens the blues. In the wintertime, you can feel bummed out; it’s called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). That’s because you get less sunshine, which means less vitamin D (which your skin makes from the sun) than during the rest of the year. Drinking milk fortified with vitamin D can help lift your mood.

8. Milk cools a burning mouth. Casein, one of the proteins in milk, binds to capsaicin, the stuff that makes spicy food taste HOT. When you feel like your mouth is on fire, milk can have you singing hallelujah!

9. Chocolate milk – the ideal sports drink. Milk has natural protein and electrolytes, and the chocolate creates the ideal carbs-to-protein ratio for post-workout refueling.

10. Dairy fights hunger. Milk is one of the top requested items in food banks, and Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers and Feeding Pennsylvania are helping fill that need through www.feedingpa.org.