Ayat Hashim / Hoda El-Sayed / Samah El-Sayed
Dairy products have been an important part of the human diet for approximately 8,000 years and are included in many countries’ official nutritional recommendations. Dairy products are high in calcium, protein, potassium, and phosphorus. Vegetables are considered essential for a healthy diet because they provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. All vegetables may protect humans from a variety of diseases. The promotion of healthy vegetable products has coincided with an increase in consumer interest in food’s healthfulness. Because of their desired taste, color, aroma, fiber, and vitamin content, vegetables in various forms (i.e., fresh, juices, powder, puree, and extract) are excellent sources for the enrichment of dairy products. Some vegetables are considered potential dairy product stabilizing agents due to their desirable functional properties, such as water binding and holding, gelling, and thickening ability. The enrichment of dairy products such as cheeses, ice creams, and yogurts with vegetables increases the market of these products due to the high demand for goods for an improved diet, rich in compounds with antioxidant and biological properties.