When I finished off that gallon of milk in my refrigerator on Thursday, it was 10 days past the sell-by date.

I used to be a big milk drinker. I would drink one or two gallons a week. I loved shredded cheese and ice cream was a fun treat in summer. But after the pandemic, and especially since turning 40, I’ve cut back a lot. Milk is a wonderful beverage, it supports a working landscape in Upstate NY, but it also has a lot of sugar and in case of non-skim milk, a lot of saturated fat.

I still like skim milk in my coffee and I will occasionally use it for cooking food. Sometimes I will use some shredded cheese on eggs and other cooked items. And I like a small portion of low-fat yogurt drizzled on frozen fruit for desert, especially on a hot day when I’ve been calorie conscience the rest of day. But I am careful how much dairy I end up consuming.

It’s not to say I’m opposed to milk, dairy production or cattle. They are an important part of a healthy rural landscape. I do however think the benefits of drinking milk — especially in excess are oversold, by a cooperative push of the dairy industry and the USDA. I can’t blame dairy farmers for trying to sell more of their product and raise the price of dairy, but that doesn’t mean drinking and consuming it in excess is healthy for oneself.