Flavored milk in schools

[Deleted]

Many of you know that I work as a school dietitian, off fighting the good fight for child nutrition. I just wanted to share this new research from Cornell regarding the effects of removing flavored milk in schools:

foodpsychology.cornell.edu/op/chocomilk

The article basically says that milk consumption decreases when you remove flavored milk from schools. This is new news but maybe since Cornell published this study, it will change some opinions of people's thoughts on the topic.

This is always somethjng that parents bring up with me. I remember there was discussion about this on the nest when that Jamie Oliver show was on tv about school food.

The DHHS in our state oversees preK snack programs here, and they don't allow flavored milk beginning this year. The teachers asked me to completely take milk off of their snack menu because the kids throw away the white. the whole thing bothers me because I know a lot of these kids don't get decent meals at home, let alone milk.

Do your kids drink white milk at home? Would they always pick chocolate over white at school?

[Deleted]

When I was in school, I would choose chocolate over regular milk.

However, chocolate milk was 1% and at home my parents only bought whole milk.

Isn't it better/healthier to drink 1% chocolate milk than an equivalent amount of whole milk? (If whole milk isn't necessary for other reasons)

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2014 10:26:56 GMT -5 @mrsspunky said:

When I was in school, I would choose chocolate over regular milk.

However, chocolate milk was 1% and at home my parents only bought whole milk.

Isn't it better/healthier to drink 1% chocolate milk than an equivalent amount of whole milk? (If whole milk isn't necessary for other reasons)

Schools are required to only offer flavored milk in skim now.

I guess whether it's healthier depends on the child and his or her age. Whole milk isn't recommended for kids past a specific age but I don't think it really hurts anything if their overall diet is pretty healthy. The two milks have the same vitamins but the chocolate would have more sugar and the whole milk would have more fat. I would pick 1% chocolate over whole milk for myself.

[ijack]

I think white school milk is gross, but that's just me.
DD alternates between white and chocolate milk when she buys lunch. I pack her chocolate milk (because it's hard to find good shelf stable white milk) or yogurt drinks, which probably have as much sugar.

[CallingAllAngels]

My kids (3 and 6 years old) drink milk at home.

DS is in kindergarten and can choose between white or chocolate. He says that he mostly picks chocolate, but sometimes will pick white if he feels like he has had too many treats. He is kind of a freakishly good kid. He likes doing the right thing.

I grew up in a milk-drinking household. We drank a lot of milk, but I don't remember ever drinking chocolate milk at home. However, I always picked chocolate milk at school because the white milk tasted spoiled to me. I still think most white milk that is sold in individual containers (like when I get fast food for my kids) smells and tastes off. It doesn't seem as fresh as what we drink at home.

[atlas]

I'm not a parent, but I have never drank milk. I just absolutely hate it and have my whole life; now I stick to soy or almond.

However, there are/were plenty of kids and adults who do enjoy milk and I think it is important to have available. In my mind white milk is probably healthier than flavored milks, but I don't know how 'unhealthy' flavored milks are. If the health of flavored milks outweighs the negatives of not having any then I think it is not the greates idea to no long have it available.

Are there other forms of milk available? I would assume for those who can't have lactose, but maybe not for everyone. A lot of soy milks come in flavors too.

[mbcdefg]

I was allowed to get chocolate milk in kindergarten.

We didn't have sugary cereals at home, so I felt like hot shit to get chocolate milk while other kids around me got white milk.

[Deleted]

I didn't know they could only offer flavored milk in skim now. That's interesting. I also haven't been in a school cafeteria in more than 10 years.

The last time I regularly drank milk with lunches/at school was when I was in 5th, maybe 6th grade, so I was 11 at most. Whole milk is definitely not recommended as a regular drink for an 11 year old. My dad gets sick drinking milk other than whole, though he doesn't drink milk on its own. My mom bought it, and continues to buy it, for cereal, coffee, etc. When I was in college, I started drinking skim and 1%, so we would have 2 kinds whenever I was around. Now I can't stand whole milk.

[cjeanette]

My kids go in phases were they prefer one over the other. If they only had a white milk option they would be fine though.

[tigress]

I always chose chocolate milk in school. We never had chocolate milk at home.

At home my kids drink white whole milk (even my 5 year old still). I buy chocolate milk every once in a while as a treat or they get it at a restaurant. It is not on a regular basis.

I don't drink plain milk now as an adult. I will drink chocolate milk occasionally if we have it in the house.

[karinothing]

Apr 17, 2014 10:31:49 GMT -5 ijack said:

I think white school milk is gross, but that's just me.
DD alternates between white and chocolate milk when she buys lunch. I pack her chocolate milk (because it's hard to find good shelf stable white milk) or yogurt drinks, which probably have as much sugar.

BTW this drives me nuts. Why is it hard to find shelf stable white milk. In the store I only see the chocolate or strawberry stuff. Although I think i have seen the white stuff on amazon.

[lemons]

Interesting. We got OJ with our afternoon snack and white milk or water with our lunch.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2014 10:44:03 GMT -5 @juno said:

I don't have kids, but I've always been a milk hater except for a short time in my teens when I craved it like mad. Then all of a sudden I hated it again. I love all other dairy, but I can't stand drinking milk by itself. I wasn't even a huge fan of chocolate, but I'd drink it if it was given to me. Do kids really require cow's milk? It seems like plain water would be better than milk full of sugar. I know they'd have to get calcuium elsewhere, but aren't there other healthy options (though some equally likely to be rejected I guess)? Fortified foods?

Schools are required to offer milk but kids don't have to pick it up if the schools practices "offer vs. Serve" (allows the kids to select their own food as long as they select at least 3 food groups). Schools are also required to have water available in the lunch area for students, whether it's a water fountain or pitchers.

Calcium intake is really important in adolescence to prevent bone issues later in life. Calcium, vitamin D and potassium are all identified in the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans as nutrients of concern because Americans don't get enough of them... milk contains them all. You can get calcium from other sources but kids still don't get enough.

[Poppy]

I always chose chocolate when I had the option (at school or at home). But I liked milk, I'm pretty sure I would have drunk plain milk at school if that was the only option.

I don't think milk is a necessary dietary component for children (although I understand that a lot of kids need as many calories at school as they can get). I do, however, think that it's hard to undo getting a taste for sugary drinks. I'm sure I will eat my words someday when I actually have kids, but we're already a no-soda house and I plan to keep it that way. I will also vastly limit juice and other sugary drinks (right now if I drink juice, I mix it 1:1 with sparkling water).

ETA, saw your post about calcium and Vit D. I do think milk is a good way to get those nutrients. I don't know what the solution is, but I do not think that adding buckets of sugar is necessary or advisable in order to get kids to be healthy.

[crashgizmo]

When I was little I drank milk all the time, and then got a kidney infection when I was like 3. The doctor said I had to stop drinking milk. I don't remember what the medical reason was, but I've disliked milk ever since. I drank water as a kid, and then those Hansen's soda things once I was in 4th grade or so.

When I used to visit my Little Sister (from Big Brothers Big Sisters) at lunchtime, they had strawberry milk as an option. Is that a thing still?

[ddi741]

I have no kids but I can tell you I don't drink milk unless it's chocolate milk. I don't like regular milk. I put maybe 2 tablespoons in cereal. I've pretty much always been this way. My mom said I hit 6 and just stopped drinking milk. I didn't like it anymore and the only way I would drink it would be chocolate.

[arch01]

In my mind, I'd rather have my kid drink chocolate milk than juice. I have no clue if that's a rational thought without looking at the nutritional value of both of them side by side, but my mind automatically goes to milk is better than juice.

I think that it's sad that it's being taken off the menu, especially for the reason you posted-there are a lot of kids who just don't get decent meals at home. If chocolate is going to make them drink milk-go for it.

ETA: Regarding the necessity of milk-we rely on it because there are a lot of days that we struggle to get enough protein in DS. We rely on milk because we know he'll drink it, whereas with other protein sources (even yogurt and cheese), it's a crapshoot. We do what we have to do.

[Jalapeñomel]

I hate milk. I'm not sure my kid actually needs to drink milk. I'm not sure what we will do when he is older.

[sometimesrunner]

I only ever drank chocolate milk. If my only option was white I would drink water. As an adult I only drink white milk with chocolate chip cookies.

[MamaMaui24]

Apr 17, 2014 10:43:46 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Apr 17, 2014 10:31:49 GMT -5 ijack said:

I think white school milk is gross, but that's just me.
DD alternates between white and chocolate milk when she buys lunch. I pack her chocolate milk (because it's hard to find good shelf stable white milk) or yogurt drinks, which probably have as much sugar.

BTW this drives me nuts. Why is it hard to find shelf stable white milk. In the store I only see the chocolate or strawberry stuff. Although I think i have seen the white stuff on amazon.

Not even Horizon? Our store has this one all the time.

[Deleted]

We had a choice between orange juice, white milk, and chocolate milk. I always chose chocolate milk or OJ because we didn't drink those at home.

Now that I'm an adult I keep chocolate milk on hand at all times. It's great for refueling after a work out. We use a local brand that has low sugar and we don't keep any other sugary drinks on hand, so I can't say I'm too worried about it.

How much sugar is in the containers of milk at school? I remember it being pretty sweet. Have the manufacturers taken any steps to reduce the amount of sugar in them over the years? I don't see an issue with chocolate milk on a daily basis if someone is otherwise eating a balanced diet. But with the obesity rates in this country, I think a lot are probably missing the "balanced" part.

[karinothing]

Apr 17, 2014 11:01:42 GMT -5 MamaMaui24 said:

Apr 17, 2014 10:43:46 GMT -5 karinothing said:

BTW this drives me nuts. Why is it hard to find shelf stable white milk. In the store I only see the chocolate or strawberry stuff. Although I think i have seen the white stuff on amazon.

Not even Horizon? Our store has this one all the time.

Yeah, our store just has horizon in chocolate and strawberry.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2014 11:03:02 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

How much sugar is in the containers of milk at school? I remember it being pretty sweet. Have the manufacturers taken any steps to reduce the amount of sugar in them over the years? I don't see an issue with chocolate milk on a daily basis if someone is otherwise eating a balanced diet. But with the obesity rates in this country, I think a lot are probably missing the "balanced" part.

Skim has 13g carbs and chocolate has 20g in 1 cup. I have not seen much of a reduction in the amount but I know our manufacturer doesn't use HFCS. I guess this depends on the brand.

[h]

My kids all love white milk and prefer it to chocolate. DS2 has a huge sweet tooth and loves pretty much all things chocolate, but he still prefers white milk. Their school offers white milk and water in pitchers with lunch, and they can choose which they want. There is no flavored milk.

[mswax]

At home, chocolate milk is a treat. At school,DS1 can get chocolate milk on Wednesdays (my rule, not the school's). He can only get regular milk on the other days.

[h]

I can always find the plain Horizon shelf stable milk at my super Target.

[cajunmom]

I don't get why milk is such a big deal. There have been plenty of studies that show that while milk is a good, quick source of a number of nutrients, too much milk can lead to anemia and weight gain. There are many other options to get kids the nutrients that come in milk.

But other than that, I don't like the flavored milks at school simply because of the tons of sugar in them. That greatly outweighs the benefits that the kids may get in that little pouch, IMO.

ETA: They offer white, chocolate, and strawberry milk at my daughters' school.

[ijack]

Apr 17, 2014 11:01:42 GMT -5 MamaMaui24 said:

Apr 17, 2014 10:43:46 GMT -5 karinothing said:

BTW this drives me nuts. Why is it hard to find shelf stable white milk. In the store I only see the chocolate or strawberry stuff. Although I think i have seen the white stuff on amazon.

Not even Horizon? Our store has this one all the time.

is it shelf stable? I've seen the refrigerated boxes, but not anything else.
Also, why is it all low fat milk? Some of us want whole milk!!
And to the discussion, I'd rather my kid have fat than sugar.

[madringal]

I only serve white milk at home. I don't even buy chocolate syrup for ice cream. Chocoalate milk is considered a treat that we reserve for going out to dinner and grandmas house. DD1 is a great rule follower, and I have asked that when she buys lunch she choose white milk. I'm 99% sure she does. But it has never been a battle at my house, so it isn't like I am being a white milk martyer. I just haven't had a struggle like some moms have had.

That being said my kids drink an insane amount of milk. With a 6yo and a 2 yo, we buy 3 gallons a week. That doesn't include what they drink at MIL's, babysitters, or school.

[mainelyfoolish]

My DD will only drink white milk, but I've done nothing to encourage it. She's an extremely picky eater and only drinks water or white milk. She won't eat any other part of a school lunch. :/

As a family, we drink white milk. Very occasionally I'll buy a small container of chocolate milk as a treat for myself, but like I said DD won't touch it and I have never tried giving any to my DS. 

It wouldn't bother me if my kid drank chocolate milk at school because she drinks white milk at home with breakfast and dinner.