Flavored Milk in Schools - Healthy Compromise or Not?
School kids are walking around with flavored milk mustaches. White milk is out, strawberry and chocolate are in. While milk is a good calcium source for kids, it's drawn the short straw thanks to the success of energy drinks and flavored water. Unfortunately, nine out of every 10 preteen girls don't consume the recommended three calcium servings a day, and boys are not far behind at seven out of 10. Keep in mind, bone density peaks during adolescence. With soda stripped from many public schools, flavored milk has proven an attractive calcium-filled compromise to attract sugar-hungry kids. But with the rise in childhood obesity, not every school district is behind the flavored milk craze. Chicago suburban Barrington District 220 banned flavored milk this past fall, one of the brave first in Illinois. If it works, it may be extended to the town's high school. Dairy consumption has dropped 11 percent in the first two months, but school officials are betting milk sales will rebound just like beverage sales did after the soda ban.
I say good for Barrington District 220. I don't like flavored milk in schools. Kids get enough sugar as it is, why does a calcium-filled, daily staple like milk have to be sweetened, too? Let alone the fact kids eating breakfast and lunch at school are downing up to 10 cartons of flavored milk a week. This is exactly the kind of nutritional habit that puts kids at risk for weight problems. Every day should not be treat day -- save the chocolate milk mustache for special occasions. What's your take?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-02-2008 @ 3:30PM
Jen said...
When my daughter started kindergarten last year, she immediately picked up on the ability to make her own decision to have chocolate milk when buying lunch. This infuriates me. She doesn't get chocolate milk at home except as a treat--certainly not on a regular basis, so she was able to alter that when she bought lunch at school. Sugar ridden flavored milk should be left at the store.
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12-02-2008 @ 3:35PM
u262f said...
As long as non-flavored milk is available, I don't see what's the problem with offering flavored milk. The schools are not making the children buy flavored, and maybe some parents actually teach their children how to make good choices.
I used to buy milk all the time during middle school, and our school offered chocolate milk. Most of the time, I bought plain nonfat milk, but some days, it really WAS a special occasion, and it was nice to be able to get chocolate milk. Besides, chocolate milk still probably had significantly less sugar than the overly sweet orange juice, which was my only other option. I didn't even have the option of getting water unless I wanted to have to keep walking to the drinking fountain every time I needed a drink, and the water from the drinking fountains was utterly nasty.
I think having the _option_ of flavored milk available is a good thing. Schools have offered far worse, and just because it's there doesn't mean it has to be used as a "daily staple". If parents are worried, they should discuss things with their children and equip their children with enough knowledge to make the right choice. Removing the choice completely means that the children grow up in a environment in which they never had to learn how to control themselves because options just weren't available. As soon as they get other options, they'll probably drown themselves in the choices they were denied.
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12-02-2008 @ 4:47PM
Maureen said...
9 out of 10 girls and 7 out of 10 boys don't get enough calcium. Research has shown that kids that drink flavored milk do not gain weight - because flavored milk tends to replace sodas. Parents and schools should have the right to offer flavored milk since it helps kids that just won't drink plain milk get the calcium and vitamin D that they need. This is especially important for middle school and high school children when milk consumption tends to plummet - and when they have the once in a lifetime chance to maximize bone density.
Also, vitamin D deficiency is more often seen in young children and cases of rickets are being reported in the US. Teenagers are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and more cases of teenage osteopenia and osteoporosis have been observed.
In a perfect world it would be better if we only offered unflavored milk - but we know that our world isn't perfect - my vote: we are better off making flavored milk available.
Maureen Bligh, MA, RD
Dairy Council of California
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1-31-2009 @ 2:48AM
loves2shop2005 said...
I agree. My 3 yr old will drink regular milk but my 5 year old will not unless I put quik in it.
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