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Add Dairy to Your Day

These healthy snacks will fill you up with extra benefits

By

Staying Sharp

Updated May 26, 2026

Updated May 26, 2026

Hands of a person using a knife to spread cheese on bread

JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images

Quick Win

Whip up these foods to keep in your fridge for a protein and calcium boost.

Try This Today

Top cottage cheese or yogurt with peaches to add fiber to your protein- and calcium-rich snack.
Snack on cheese and grapes. This pairing is easy to take on the road.
Make frozen yogurt bites. Dip banana slices in yogurt. Top with chopped nuts or chocolate chips and freeze for a tasty, nutritious snack.

Why

The nutrients in dairy can help keep your bones strong, according to the USDA. And eating one to two servings of dairy per day may be associated with slower cognitive decline, according to a review of research published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2024.

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Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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