Got Milked? The Great Dairy Deception and Why You’ll Thrive Without Milk

Hamilton, whose previous book (Squeezed) took on orange juice, here challenges the USDA’s MyPlate dairy recommendation of three servings of dairy per day and its emphasis on fluid milk as the perfect version of that requirement. According to her, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Adequate Intake (AI), and Upper Intake (UI) numbers set by various panels of doctors and government agencies are used by food marketers (often also funded directly and indirectly by the dairy industry) to make milk seem like the superfood it is not. Hamilton asserts that milk is not the only source of all-important nutrients: the vitamins—D, K, B, and calcium—at the core of health claims about milk can also be found in superfoods like amaranth and chia. The book includes a selection of recipes for these healthful foods, which Hamilton presents as viable alternatives currently making inroads beyond health food store devotees. She especially highlights the pressure on parents to follow USDA nutritional guidelines. The cost of dairy’s dominance may be the weight and health of America, with one study finding that 90% of Asian-Americans and 75% of African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Jews are lactose intolerant. Hamilton triumphs with this resounding critique of lobbyist influence on nutritional guidelines. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Associates Literary Agency. (Apr.)