It’s Michigan. It’s cold. It’s time for hot beverages.

Nothing satisfies more than coming in from the cold to a steaming mug of hot cocoa or a cup of other warm dairy delights.

In the winter, we tend to crave foods that fuel our bodies and provide a comforting warm feeling that comes from sipping a hot beverage.

Many of our winter favorites include calcium-rich dairy, making it an important food group to include in our daily diet.

“Calcium is a key mineral. Our bodies need it to promote bone and overall health,” says Janice Jackson, an RDN with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. “Calcium acts like a shield to help protect against lead absorption.”

Drinking just a cup of a dairy favorite also helps meet one of the three recommended dairy servings we need daily.

For instance, an 8-ounce serving of Warm Turtle Cocoa provides 25 percent of the recommended daily servings of calcium and 8 grams of protein, making it a nutrient-packed choice.

Don’t be shy when incorporating hot drinks, like S’mores Hot Chocolate, into your daily routine. An afternoon break can be a lot more fun when it doubles as a mid-day pick-me-up too. Please click here for the recipe.

Take it outside

Community events abound during January and February. You can choose from family-friendly activities like ice skating, snowshoeing and winter hikes, or try an outdoor festival, also plentiful at this time of year.

Learn to skate at the Flint Iceland Arena or start hockey lessons if you’re dreaming of the pros. Take to the ice at the University of Michigan-Flint’s Ice Rink downtown for a free open skate during the week and on weekends. Free community open skates are Saturdays and Sundays, 12 to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays, 6 to 9 p.m., and Fridays, 5 to 8 p.m.

When you’re coming off the ice, a thermos full of Peppermint Mocha Latte is just the thing to warm you up. Please click here for the recipe.

Milk sure makes it easy.

For more information on these featured recipes or to see more, visit www.milkmeansmore.org and click on recipes.

Editor’s Note:  Using fat-free or low-fat milk provides the same nine essential nutrients as whole milk, including Vitamin D, which helps keep bones strong during the winter months when sunlight is limited.

  Flint Iceland Arena, healthy winter drinks, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, University of Michigan-Flint’s Ice Rink