Three small portions of dairy a day may actually protect against heart disease and stroke. According to an article in The Guardian this week, a large new study suggests that in moderation, dairy products may actually protect against heart disease and stroke, despite getting a bad rap in the past because of the saturated fat they contain.

The study, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that “people who consumed three servings of milk, cheese or yoghurt a day had lower rates of cardiovascular disease and lower mortality than those who ate less.”

So up your dairy intake for the day with this healthy Chocolate, Banana and Date Milkshake. All you need to do is whiz the following in a blender (serves 1):

• 200ml reduced fat milk
• 1/2 frozen banana, chopped
• 2 dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons reduced fat plain yoghurt
• 1 Tbsp oats
• 1/2 tsp cocoa

(If you don’t have frozen banana, room temperature banana is fine but you may like to throw a couple of ice cubes in too).