Midwest Dairy wellness warriors hit the road

Promoting dairy’s nutritional benefits is an integral part of growing trust in dairy. In 2025, Midwest Dairy launched the Wellness Warriors program, designed to leverage the expertise of credible dietitian thought leaders to grow trust in dairy among school nutritionists; leaders in the Women, Infants and Children program; and other health professionals. These wellness warriors bring their expertise in human nutrition, public health, school nutrition, food allergy management and sustainable food systems to conferences, webinars, podcasts and other platforms, championing dairy and building trust with influential decision-makers and consumers.

There are currently four dietitian thought leaders who are part of our Wellness Warriors program, advocating for dairy throughout our 10-state region. Wellness warrior Caroline Weeks, a physician assistant and registered dietitian, led a session at the 2025 meeting of the Arkansas Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association. Her session, “Roots of Health: Closing the Maternal Gap Through Early Life Nutrition,” explored the unique nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women. Weeks emphasized how nutrition-based interventions, including those that incorporate dairy foods, can improve maternal and infant health, reduce disparities and support lifelong well-being.

Another wellness warrior, registered dietitian Krystal Dunham, led “Opportunities to Close the Nutrition Equity Gap: Amplifying Cultural Relevance of Dairy Foods in Tackling Health Disparities” at the Region V National Medical Association’s annual conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as the Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spring Conference. Both sessions discussed lactose intolerance, the power of milk, cheese and yogurt and dairy solutions that support patients of various cultural backgrounds.

Wellness warrior Haley Miskowiec, RD, LD, spoke at the Minnesota School Nutrition Association’s Annual Conference in Rochester, Minnesota, about “Navigating Dairy: From Added Sugars to Allergies.” She presented to school nutrition professionals, promoting the key nutrients in dairy, sharing case studies that demonstrated the negative impacts of removing chocolate milk from schools and clarifying the differences between lactose intolerance and dairy allergies.

Miskowiec also presented at the North Dakota School Nutrition Association conference to 100 school professionals from across the state, including three food and nutrition staff from the department of public instruction. In addition to “Navigating Dairy: From Added Sugars to Allergies,” she led a second session, “Navigating New Breakfast Standards.” This breakout session showcased the recently released Smart Swaps Program from the National Dairy Council. Miskowiec demonstrated the program, which provides school nutrition professionals with sample menus, easy-to-make recipes and practical training materials that support their school meal planning.

Wellness warrior Dorian Doss, MS, RD, represented Midwest Dairy at a farm-to-table dinner and discussion with Illinois’ Cook County Physicians Association. Together with Alicia Nesbary Moore of Herban Produce and dairy farmers Sarah and Andy Lenkaitis, attendees discussed urban agriculture, sustainable dairy farming and nutrition in African American communities. Attendees left informed and inspired about dairy’s health benefits, sustainable farming practices and dairy’s role in addressing health disparities.

Doss also conducted two WIC focus groups, one in Missouri and the other in Nebraska, to understand the user experience with dairy education made available through the WIC Shopper app in 2025. The goal of these focus groups was to gain insights that encourage other states to adopt the app, enabling WIC participants to take advantage of the available free dairy nutrition education.

The reach of Midwest Dairy’s Wellness Warrior program doesn’t stop there. Warriors have also presented at events such as the Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Meeting in Coralville, Iowa, the Student National Medical Association in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Nebraska Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics in Nebraska City, Nebraska, among other events. We look forward to their representation at events through the end of the year and into 2026.