Tag Archives: flavored milk

There’s No Need To Ban Flavored Milk From Schools

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As a Registered Dietitian (RD) who has dedicated 30+ years of work and volunteer life to child nutrition, I believe flavored milk has a place in school meals. Disclosure: I am proud to work with the National Dairy Council and regional dairy councils, including Western Dairy Association. However, all the opinions here are my own. This blog was first published as Guest Blog: No Need to Remove Flavored Milk.

First, the facts about today’s flavored milk in schools: This is not the chocolate milk served ten – or even five – years ago. Dairy processors have responded to nutrition concerns and continually renovate their products.

Gonzales Unified, Monterrey (CA) Home-style Chile Verde, Beans, Rice and fresh local tortillas

Monterrey (CA) Home-style Chile Verde, beans, rice and fresh local tortillas

Secondly. the real nutrition issues: While some US children are getting too many calories for their activity levels, many are under-nourished. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans listed four nutrients of concern for both children and adults: calcium, vitamin D, potassium and dietary fiber. Our low consumption of these nutrients can affect our health today and in the future.

Just like white milk, flavored milk provides three of the four nutrients of concern – all of them except dietary fiber. All types of milk are excellent sources of calcium and vitamin D, and good sources of potassium. All are nutrient-rich beverages, packed with many other nutrients kids need for strong bodies – protein and phosphorus, along with vitamins A, B12, riboflavin and niacin.

Banning flavored milk could potentially lead to a small reduction in calories consumed by kids at school. However, it also can have serious unintended consequences as documented in the recent study of 11 Oregon school districts. When flavored milk was removed, total daily milk sales declined by nearly 10 percent. Although white milk sales increased by 161 cartons per day, almost 30 percent was thrown away. Eliminating chocolate milk was also associated with about 7 percent fewer students eating school lunches.

I am not surprised by these results. They confirm previously published studies and the experience in many cafeterias. Flavored milk bans do all the wrong things in child nutrition programs. We need more nutrient-rich food for hungry students, more students who are well-nourished and ready to learn – and fewer expensive-to-replace nutrients dumped into trashcans.

Lake Stevens (WA), Customized 'Power Bowls' with fresh, local produce

Lake Stevens (WA), Customized ‘Power Bowls’ with fresh, local produce

Finally, working together to improve nutrition in schools: There has been a revolution in school nutrition programs across the USA, but we have still have plenty of work to do, especially in low-income, at-risk communities.

  • Want kids to consume less sugar at school? Let’s provide nutrition education for families (lots of sugar is brought to cafeterias from home). Let’s implement USDA’s Smart Snacks in School rules and shift the focus toward smarter choices everywhere on school campuses. Flavored milk is not the most significant source of added sugar in children’s beverages by a long shot. Soft drinks, sport drinks and juice drinks have more sugar and fewer nutrients.
  • Want students to drink more white milk? Forget bans. Let’s institute positive nutrition and culinary education into the curriculum, Let’s use smart marketing techniques to make white milk the more convenient choice at the front of milk coolers. Let’s not put nutrient-rich milk in the garbage and throw important nutrients out with misplaced concerns about small amounts of sugar.
  • Want healthier kids, schools and communities? Let’s put our passion for child nutrition toward effective partnerships on positive ways to improve access to delicious nutrient-rich at school and at home. Let’s look for ways to get kids active before, during and after school with programs like safe routes to school and active recess. Fuel Up To Play 60 is great way to bring nutrition and physical activity to schools – along with grants to purchase equipment and training to implement sustainable changes.

Let’s stop wasting our time, resources and food on negative nutrition campaigns. Let’s work together to make the learning connection for all children – because we know that healthier students are better students.

Flavored Milk Update: Let’s focus on what’s important in school nutrition

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As a Registered Dietitian (RD) who has dedicated over 30 years of my work and volunteer life to child nutrition, I am astounded that some folks are still focused on banning flavored milk from schools. When I was asked my opinion on banning flavored milk yesterday, I had to update my 2011 column about The Flavored Milk Wars: Is a tempest in a milk carton good for kids’ nutrition? Full Disclosure: I am proud to work with the dairy farm families represented by National Dairy Council and regional dairy councils, such as Western Dairy Association.

Really? Now? When schools need all the help that they can get to roll out historic and challenging new regulations? Our time is better spent collaborating on getting more red/orange/dark green vegetables into kids instead of trashcans, on developing plans for school garden, or a campaign to get more calcium into young people, especially tween and teen girls.

First, let’s look at the state of flavored milk served in schools today. This is not a “milkshake” in a plastic bottle nor the flavored milk that you drank in school. In the past six years, the dairy industry has responded to nutrition concerns and renovated their products dramatically:

  • From 2006 to 2012, the average calories in school flavored milk decreased by 34 calories – to around 130 calories in 8 ounces. This is only about 40 more calories than fat-free white milk.
  • Decreasing calories has been accomplished by reducing fat (to fat-free milk) and reducing added sugar. Added sugar in flavored milk has declined by 40% – by over 6 grams per cup – during the past 6 years.
  • Many dairies now offer fat-free flavored milk with just 10 to 12 grams of added sugar per cup. Some anti-flavor activists fail to remember all milk has 12 grams of natural sugar (lactose) straight from the cow!
  • Now, the fat-free chocolate milk served in many schools across the country has 130 calories, 0 grams of fat and saturated fat, and 22 grams of total sugar. That’s 12 grams from naturally occurring lactose and just 10 grams or 2½ teaspoons of added sugar. 

Next, let’s keep our eyes on the prize – children’s overall health. While some children in the US are getting too many calories for their activity level, a significant number of children are seriously under-nourished. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans listed four nutrients of concern for adults and children: calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and dietary fiber. These nutrients are “of concern” because our low consumption can affect our health today and in the future. Here‘s how nutrients of concern relate to the flavored milk debate:

  • Just like white milk, flavored milk provides three of the nutrients of concern – all of them except dietary fiber.
  • All milks are nutrient-rich beverages. They are packed with what kids need for strong bodies – calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, as well as protein, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B12, riboflavin, and niacin.
  • Milk with school meals – unflavored and flavored – is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to close the gap on nutrients of concern.

Finally, let’s figure out how to work together for optimal school nutrition. Improving child nutrition in the US requires collaboration – among parents, dietitians, chefs, and school nutrition professionals. Right now, school nutrition programs are focused on meeting the new standards mandated by the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Honestly, the challenge is not serving healthier foods (more veggie variety, more fruit, more whole grains) – it is insuring that all this nutrition gets into kids not into trashcans.

Banning flavored milk might have the potential for a tiny reduction in calories. However, several national and local studies have confirmed that it is also likely to reduce overall milk consumption. Is this really a smart strategy? Do we want more milk – with all that calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and other nutrients – going into trashcans instead of undernourished kids?

No one – not even the dairy industry – is suggesting that we should push flavored milk at kids. Let’s have fat-free flavored milk as one option in the school cafeteria. Let’s not throw important nutrients out with misplaced concerns about small amounts of sugar.

Let’s put our passion for child nutrition toward effective collaborations improving access to delicious nutrient-rich, more-locally sourced foods at school and at home. Let’s get together on School Gardens, local Farm-to-School projects, and helping kids build “Best Bones Forever.”

Time to Move Beyond the Chocolate Milk Wars

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New research published in the June 2012 issue of The FASEB Journal, a prestigious scientific publication, confirms what many of us have been saying for a long while: Flavored milk is not associated with excess weight gain in children and adolescents. The researchers, headed by Dr. Connie Weaver at Purdue University conclude that “flavored milk should not be removed from school cafeterias because of the perception that it contributes to childhood obesity.”

As a Registered Dietitian (RD) who has dedicated more than 30 years of my work and volunteer life to child nutrition, I have been bewildered by the intensity of efforts to ban flavored milk from schools. Petition drives, community forums, hyperbolic sound bites – really? Is this all about 10 or 12 grams of sugar? I wonder if these confrontational tactics are best the thing for improving children’s nutrition. Might our time be better spent collaborating on a school garden, a salad bar, or a campaign to get more calcium into kids?

First, let’s take a look at the facts about the flavored milk served in schools today. This is not a “milkshake” in a plastic bottle nor the flavored milk that you drank in school. In just the past five years, the dairy industry has responded to nutrition concerns and renovated their products dramatically.

• From 2006 to 2012, the average calories in flavored milk decreased by 30+ calories – to just under 134 calories in 8 ounces. This is only 31 more calories than white milk.
• Decreasing calories has been accomplished by reducing fat (to fat-free milk) and reducing added sugar. Added sugar in flavored milk has declined by 38% – by 6+ grams per cup – over the past 5 years.
• Many dairies now offer flavored milk with just 10 to 12 grams of added sugar per cup. Some anti-flavor activists fail to remember all milk has 12 grams of natural sugar (lactose) straight from the cow!
• For example, the fat-free chocolate milk served in New York City public schools has just 130 calories, 22 grams of total sugar, that’s 12 grams from naturally-occurring lactose and 10 grams of added sugar.

Next, let’s keep our eyes on the nutrition prize. While some children in the US are getting too many calories for their activity level, a significant number of children are seriously under-nourished. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans listed four nutrients of concern for adults and children: calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and dietary fiber. These nutrients are “of concern” because our low consumption can affect our health today and in the future. Here ‘s how nutrients of concern relate to the flavored milk debate:

• Just like white milk, flavored milk provides three of the nutrients of concern – all of them except dietary fiber.
• All milks are nutrient-rich beverages. They are packed with what kids need for strong bodies – calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, as well as protein, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B12, riboflavin, and niacin.

Dr. Rachel Johnson (University of Vermont professor and former dean) has studied milk consumption for years. Co-author of Drinking Flavored or Plain Milk Is Positively Associated with Nutrient Intake and Is Not Associated with Adverse Effects on Weight Status in US Children and Adolescents in the April 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Johnson has noted that “the battle against chocolate milk may be the wrong one.” I agree completely – and this new study is one more important reason to end the chocolate milk wars!

Finally, let’s figure out how to work together to improve nutrition in schools and for families, especially those in low-income, at-risk neighborhoods. Improving child nutrition in the US is going to take serious collaboration – among parents, dietitians, chefs, and school nutrition professionals.

Banning flavored milk might have the potential for a tiny reduction in calories. However, several national and local studies have confirmed that it is also likely to reduce overall milk consumption. Is this really a smart approach? No one – not even dairy advocates – is suggesting that we should push flavored at kids. Let’s have fat-free flavored milk as one option in school cafeteria. Let’s not throw important nutrients out with misplaced concerns about small amounts of sugar.

Let’s put our passion for child nutrition toward effective collaborations on positive ways to improve access to delicious nutrient-rich, more-locally sourced foods at school and at home. Let’s get together on School Gardens, local Farm-to-School projects, and helping kids build “Best Bones Forever.”