Amy Keating, nutritionist and senior project leader at Consumer Reports, said certain dairy products can contain a lot of sugar and sodium.
For instance, many people consider cheese sticks to be a calcium boost, but the average stick contains almost 200 milligrams of sodium, which is more than a one-ounce bag of potato chips.
"A glass of skim milk will have as much or more calcium and vitamin D with about half the sodium," Keating said.
YoCrunch yogurt with granola may seem like a good protein boost, but it contains 25 grams of sugar in each six-ounce serving.
The much smaller Stonyfield Organid YoKids Squeezers and Yoplait Go-Gurt still pack nine grams of sugar per serving. As a better option, try Siggi's Icelandic-Style Yogurt Tubes, which have only six grams of sugar.
And while dips made with Greek yogurt might be a better choice than the fat-filled sour cream variety, they aren't completely healthy either.
Seasonings such as the Heluva Good French Onion Greek Yogurt Dip drive the sodium content of a two-tablespoon serving beyond what would be in a small bag of McDonald's fries.
Smarter choices include two Greek yogurt dips from Sabra: Mediterranean Herb and Tzatziki.
"The most important thing you can do is read the labels and be sure you know what you're getting," Keating said.