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Summary

We all have a stake in making school lunches healthier. Learn what you can do...

Debates about school lunch have been going on for more than a century. Learn why school lunches in America have a terrible reputation and how you can help make a difference.

School lunch matters - for better learning and academic performance, for improved behavior and performance at school, for the overall health of kids, and much more.

In fact, school meals can have tremendous impacts on the next generation, the future of a country, and maybe even the future of our world.

The State of School Lunches In America

In the U.S., school lunches have a terrible reputation.

A 2009 investigation by USA Today found that meat served in U.S. schools wouldn't meet the quality or safety standards of fast-food restaurants. And according to the book Lunch Lessons, almost half the vegetables eaten by most children aged 2 to 19 in the U.S. were French fries.

Although America's school lunches have improved since Congress strengthened the standards for the national school lunch program in 2010, they have a long way to go.

Most menus now include more whole grains and more fruit and vegetable options and less salt. But they also offer an abundance of factory-farmed animal products and heavily processed foods, like corn dogs, tater tots, and cheese pizza.

But School Lunches Can Improve

Programs exist to help improve food at schools, and some schools are taking bold, inspiring steps. Parents, educators, students, and everyone can take action to help students have access to healthier foods.

As Ocean Robbins says in his upcoming book 31-Day Food Revolution, " As long as tens of millions of families depend on school meals for a fundamental part of daily nutrition, we all have a stake in making them healthier. "

As long as tens of millions of families depend on school meals for a fundamental part of daily nutrition, we all have a stake in making them healthier.

Ocean Robbins

Why Are School Lunches in America Unhealthy?

Many countries around the world serve school lunch for students. In America, midday meals have been a fixture in education for more than 70 years.

A variety of factors contribute to the school lunches in the U.S. today. Here are some of them:

Funding

The National School Lunch Program provides low-cost or free school lunches to 31 million students at more than 100,000 public and private schools per day. Meals must meet nutritional standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Participating schools receive approximately $1.30 to spend for each child. This amount must cover the food, as well as any labor, equipment, electricity, and other costs. School food programs also depend on income from students who often pay for the food they eat.

Tight budgets make serving healthier foods challenging.

The USDA Foods Program

The United States Department of Agriculture purchases hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural products and gives them to schools for free. (The government does this to stabilize food prices and to ensure demand for the country's agricultural goods.)

Free food may sound good, especially when funding is so limited. But in 2015, 64% of the program's spending went to meat, dairy, and egg products. Virtually all these products came from factory farms.

The School Milk Program

Why does almost every school lunch include milk? Because milk in schools has been federally subsidized since 1940.

In the 2013-14 school year, more than $20 million taxpayer dollars were spent directly by the USDA on dairy product subsidies that went into child nutrition programs, including school lunch.

Even though most schools now ban sodas and other sugary beverages, chocolate milk still gets a pass. A single serving of chocolate milk contains between four and six teaspoons of sugar.

And there are many reasons why all this milk might not be the healthiest option for our kids.

Unhealthy School Vendors

Some schools have given contracts to food management companies to manage the food offered to students. In these cases, the companies have the purchasing power - not the schools.

The contracting most often goes to one of three main corporations: Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo. These companies are in business to make money, and it seems that children's health isn't always their top priority.

Why the Quality of School Lunches Matters for Students

Children consume up to 50% of their daily calories at school. And for low-income children, lunch may be the only real meal of the day.

Here are seven reasons to feed kids healthy, well-balanced meals:

1) Better Learning and Memory

As studies show, children who are hungry or undernourished are unable to focus and have a hard time learning.

According to a 2008 study published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, diets with high levels of saturated fats may impair learning and memory. Many foods commonly served during school lunch, such as French fries, cheeseburgers, and chicken nuggets, are loaded with saturated fat.

When kids get adequate nutrition, they are sick fewer days and don't need to miss school, which can lead to improved performance.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Health Economics showed that when Greenwich switched from low-budget processed meals towards healthier options, educational outcomes improved and authorized absences fell by 14%.

2) Improved Concentration

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals are shown to diminish cognitive abilities and mental concentration. Many school lunches are low in the fruits, vegetables, and whole foods that provide an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

3) Better Overall Health

A 2008 study published in the Journal of School Health found that effective school nutrition programs "have the potential to improve student's diet quality, academic performance, and, over the long term, their health."

4) Better Behavior and Fewer Problems

A series of studies in the 1980s removed chemical additives and processed food, and reduced levels of sugar, in the diets of more than 8,000 juvenile delinquents in 12 correctional facilities.

What was the result? Problem behaviors fell 47%.

Similarly, in Virginia, 300 particularly hardened juvenile delinquents were put on a diet with no chemical additives and little sugar for two years. During that time, incidences of theft fell 77%, insubordination dropped 55%, and hyperactivity went down by 65%.

Also, in 2008, a comprehensive analysis from the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that students with access to nutritious meals had lower rates of aggression and disciplinary problems.

5) Better Academic Performance

According to a study conducted at the University of California at Berkeley, students who eat healthier school lunches achieve higher standardized test scores.

And a 2008 study published in the Journal of School Health found an association between higher quality diets and better performance on exams.

6) Reducing Obesity

Obesity rates among children nearly tripled from 1970 to 2000. And according to a 2017 projection published in The New England Journal of Medicine, most 2-year-olds in America today will develop obesity by the time they turn 35. But could school lunches help reduce obesity?

A 2013 study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that children residing in states with stringent nutritional standards for school meals had lower rates of obesity than those states with more lax regulations.

And a 2018 nationwide study conducted in Japan and published in the Journal of Public Health concluded that "Appropriate nutritional intake through school lunch may be effective to reduce childhood obesity." (Japan has a relatively low childhood obesity rate and one of the world's most successful nationwide school lunch programs.)

7) Better Habits for the Future

Researchers say that the eating patterns kids develop early in life typically follow them into adulthood.

A group of Canadian researchers said: " If children are to learn to prefer and select healthy foods, they need early, positive, repeated experiences with those foods. "

Federal Changes to Make American School Lunches Healthier

In 2010, Congress adopted the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act - the first significant change to school meal nutrition in more than 15 years.

If children are to learn to prefer and select healthy foods, they need early, positive, repeated experiences with those foods.

The standards went into effect in 2012, with schools that met the new criteria receiving additional funding. And federal funding for school lunches increased - by about six cents per meal - for the first time in more than three decades.

Schools are now required to:

Offer fruit daily at breakfast and lunch

Offer vegetables daily at lunch

Increase the amount of whole grains

Require students to select either a fruit or vegetable with each meal

Reduce the sodium content of meals

Only offer fat-free or low-fat milk varieties

Create grade-specific limits on total calories

Remove trans fats

Researchers who examined 1.7 million meals in an urban Washington State school district found that the overall nutritional quality of meals increased by 29% after the standards took effect.

Problems Faced by School Lunch Programs

But despite these improvements, many nutritional experts still find school lunches to be inadequate. Most meals aren't prepared from scratch and don't use fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead, foods are frozen or made elsewhere and then heated before serving. This food preparation creates meals that are far from fresh and, sadly, unappealing.

And the new federal administration is scaling back the updated school meal nutrition requirements, which could lead to less nutritious foods in many schools.

10 Ways You Can Help Improve School Food

Even though it can feel daunting to get involved, simple steps can have meaningful impacts on improving food in schools.

You may want to start by educating yourself about your school's food-service program by checking the district's or school's website.

And here are some ideas for taking action to improve school meals:

Show your support for healthy school lunches in your community.

You can set up a meeting with your local school district's Food Service Director (or your school superintendent) to find out what changes are already in progress and to see how you can help.

Be an advocate for healthier food in your school district.

The Chef Ann Foundation has a parent advocacy toolkit. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a healthy school lunch campaign. They offer resources for schools, parents, and schools.

Start a farm-to-school program.

You can find some suggestions from Kids Health here.

Get a school garden in a school.

You can find helpful guides and resources from The Lunch Box here.

Start Meatless Mondays in a school.

Foodservice workers can use this guide from Meatless Monday. Students, parents, and staff can use this ambassador guide from Meatless Monday.

Advocate for more plant-based options.

You can try encouraging a school to offer one plant-based entree per day by sharing recipes and testing them with staff. Amie Hamlin, the executive director of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, which offers 13 plant-based, kid-approved recipes, suggests this idea to make an impact

Help increase nutrition education in a school.

You can help implement the Coalition for Healthy School Food's Wellness Wakeup Call, which provides schools and classrooms with daily, healthy eating tips that can be read in classrooms and over PA systems. This program is free for schools in New York, but out-of-state schools can use it for a small fee.

Advocate for lunchtimes that are long enough for students to get to eat.

You can advocate for lunches that are at least 30 minutes long and for scheduling recess before lunch. Research backs up these changes for getting kids to eat more fruits and veggies. The Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation has resources to help lengthen lunches.

Contact elected officials.

You can support legislation and funding that promote healthier school lunches. Contact your elected officials and let them know why healthy school lunches matter. Call to schedule a meeting with your member of Congress to speak out for federal change, with local school board members, or with a school board superintendent to take action locally. You can sign up for action alerts from the School Nutrition Associate Action Network to stay informed and engaged about school nutrition policy issues.

Students can take action, too.

The School Nutrition Association has 10 tips for students who want to make a difference in the school cafeteria.

What If School Lunches Around the World Encouraged Healthy Eating Behaviors?

Children's bodies and brains are still developing - and the habits and attitudes they'll carry with them throughout life are being formed.

Healthy, balanced school lunches could lead to better health and better academic performance for students. They could lead to reduced aggression, hyperactivity, and other problems. And they could help break the cycles that trap low-income children in poor health.

Healthy school lunches could also help reverse childhood obesity trends, which lead to type 2 diabetes and other chronic illness. And they could contribute to a healthier and more productive future for the next generation.

As former President Harry S. Truman said when signing the National School Lunch Act: " No nation is any healthier than its children or more prosperous than its farmers. "

Tell us in the comments:
Featured Image: iStock.com/SDI Productions

What are your experiences with school lunch?

How will you take action?

Read Next:

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You know vitamins and minerals are good for you. But what does your body really need? And is it possible to get too much of a good thing?

What Are Vitamins and Minerals?

Your body needs vitamins and minerals to work properly. You get them from the foods you eat every day.

Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble (pronounced: SAHL-yuh-bul):

The fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K - dissolve in fat and are stored in your body.

The water-soluble vitamins - C and the B-complex vitamins (such as vitamins B6, B12, niacin, riboflavin, and folate) - dissolve in water. Your body can't store these vitamins. Any B or C vitamins that your body doesn't use travels through the bloodstream and is lost (mostly when you pee). So you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day.

Vitamins are organic substances, which means they're made by plants or animals. Minerals are inorganic elements that come from soil and water, and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you need only very small amounts of them.

What Do Vitamins and Minerals Do?

Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. For example, you've probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes. It's true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids (pronounced: kuh-RAH-teh-noydz) that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems.

Vitamin K helps blood to clot, so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly. You'll find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and soybeans. And to have strong bones, you need to eat foods such as milk, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, which are rich in the mineral calcium.

How Do I Get the Vitamins and Minerals I Need?

Eating well now is especially important because the body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to grow and stay healthy.

Eating a mix of foods is the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need each day. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, and poultry are the best choices for getting the nutrients your body needs.

When deciding what to eat, check food labels and pick items that are high in vitamins and minerals. For example, when choosing drinks, you'll find that a glass of milk is a good source of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorous, and potassium. A glass of soda, on the other hand, doesn't have any vitamins or minerals.

You can also satisfy your taste buds without sacrificing nutrition while dining out: vegetable pizzas or fajitas, sandwiches with lean cuts of meat, fresh salads, and baked potatoes are just a few delicious, nutritious choices.

If you're a vegetarian, you'll need to plan carefully for a diet that includes the vitamins and minerals you need. The best sources for the minerals zinc and iron are meats, fish, and poultry. But you can get these from dried beans, seeds, nuts, and leafy green vegetables like kale.

Vitamin B12 is important for making red blood cells and keeping nerves working well. It is found only in animal products. If you don't eat meat, you can get vitamin B12 from eggs, milk and other dairy foods, and fortified breakfast cereals. Vegans (vegetarians who eat no animal products at all, including dairy products) may need to take vitamin B12 supplements.

Should I Take a Supplement?

Lots of people wonder if they should take vitamin or mineral supplements. If your diet includes a wide variety of foods - including whole-grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meats - you probably get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

There are many supplements on the market, and of course their makers want you to buy them. Beware of unproven claims about the benefits of taking more than recommended amounts of any vitamin or mineral. Healthy teens usually don't need supplements if they eat a well-rounded diet.

Check with your doctor before taking vitamin or mineral supplements. Just because something is good for you doesn't mean that more is better. Some vitamins and minerals can cause health problems if you get too much of them.

Talk to your doctor or a dietitian if you're skipping meals, dieting, are a picky eater, or have any concerns about your diet. They can answer your questions and help you create a healthy eating plan that includes the nutrients your body needs.

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Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that the body needs to work properly. They boost the immune system, promote normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs.

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Milk and dairy foods naturally contain calcium and are fortified with vitamin D, two nutrients that have a direct impact on bone growth and formation and are under-consumed in a large number of American diets. These nutrients have specific roles within the human body, but they don't work in isolation. It is the combination of nutrients in milk and dairy foods that enable them to positively impact bone health.

Calcium

The most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium is recognized for its role in keeping bones and teeth strong. It is also needed for the heart, muscles and nerves to work properly and for blood to clot. A diet rich in high-calcium foods helps build peak bone mass during adolescence and early adulthood and slows the natural loss that occurs with aging.

Eating three servings of calcium-rich foods daily helps ensure that the body will maintain a good supply of calcium. Milk and dairy foods are an important source of calcium for many people, especially children and adolescents. The wide variety of milk and dairy foods available provides many options to meet personal needs and tastes, including lactose-free milk and yogurt. While a calcium supplement may be appropriate for some adults, experts do not recommend calcium supplements for children, preferring dietary sources to meet daily recommendations.

Vitamin D

An adequate amount of Vitamin D is necessary for the body absorb calcium in the intestine. Additionally, it aids in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth and a healthy immune system, while also helping lower blood pressure. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to the softening and weakening of bones known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

The body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but not all sunlight is equal. Vitamin D production depends on geographic location and exposure to UV rays. Also, it can be important to wear sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D formation. Dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, making them an important source of this nutrient for children and adults. Other food sources include salmon, tuna, sardines, egg yolks, cod and fish liver oils, fortified cereals and orange juice.

Nutrient Synergy

Though calcium and vitamin D are the most widely recognized for their impact on bone health, milk and dairy foods also contain protein, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc and vitamin K, all of which are necessary for maintaining bone health. Nutrients don't work in isolation, and each of these individual nutrients has a role to play in supporting overall health. It's the unique combination of nutrients in milk and dairy foods that enable them to positively impact bone health. Consuming whole, minimally processed dairy foods as part of a healthy eating pattern will create the best outcomes for people of all ages.

REFERENCES

GOLDEN NH, ABRAMS SA AND COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION. OPTIMIZING BONE HEALTH IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. PEDIATRICS. 2014;134(4):E1229-E1243.

QUANN EE, FULGONI III VL, AUESTAD N. CONSUMING THE DAILY RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS WOULD REDUCE THE PREVALENCE OF INADEQUATE MICRONUTRIENT INTAKES IN THE UNITED STATES: DIET MODELING STUDY BASED ON NHANES 2007-2010. NUTR J. 2015;14(90).

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(Soundbite of music)

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Coming up, Red Bull, Monster, RockStar - energy drinks are the go-to beverage for club goers and college students and the occasional journalist facing a deadline. But now, an anti-energy drink is being marketed to urban use that promises a mellow time. But some critics are sounding the alarm about a new drink called Drank. We'll tell you why in just a few minutes.

But first, a different kind of beverage, one that most school kids are happy to see in the lunch line but that is leaving some parents and nutritionists cold -namely: chocolate milk. Some school systems are considering taking chocolate milk off the menu at the urging of nutritionists who say children just do not need the extra calories and sugar, and they will drink plain milk if it is offered.

But now, the milk industry has struck back. This week, the Milk Processor Education Program and the National Dairy Council have launched a new campaign titled "Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk." Theyve enlisted celebrity moms like Rebecca Romijn, as well as a group of their own nutrition experts to press the case that chocolate milk is just as healthy as plain white milk.

(Soundbite of TV commercial)

Ms. REBECCA ROMIJN (Actress, Model): I like chocolate milk, and I know my girls will, too. It's a great way for them to get all the nutrients that go with it. That's why I'm raising my hand for chocolate milk.

MARTIN: That was, of course, Rebecca Romijn.

Joining us now to talk more about this are Keith Ayoob. He's a pediatric nutritionist at the Albert Einstein Medical Center. He has been a consultant to milk industry. And also with us, Marlene Schwartz, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

I welcome you both. Thank you for joining us.

Dr. KEITH AYOOB (Pediatric Nutritionist, Albert Einstein Medical Center): Thanks for having me.

Dr. MARLENE SCHWARTZ (Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University): Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: I'm not going to ask you all what you had for breakfast this morning. Whether its

(Soundbite of laughter)

MARTIN: chocolate milk or plain milk. But Marlene, I'm going to start with you and ask why do you want chocolate milk tossed off the school lunch menu?

Dr. SCHWARTZ: Well, I think what's important to realize here is that milk absolutely is an important part of children's diets, and I am certainly not anti-milk. But we know from research that weve done and others that children will drink plain milk. And the WIC program - which is the Women, Infant and Children program in the United States - does not support the use of chocolate milk. Head Start centers, preschool centers around the country all serve plain, white milk. And what weve observed is that the children will drink it.

So the question is, if children will drink regular milk when they're three and four and five years old, why is it that when they enter kindergarten, suddenly we think oh, no, they're not going to like it anymore and we introduce something that's significantly higher in sugar and calories?

MARTIN: Mr. Ayoob, before I ask your perspective on this, we mentioned that you have been a consultant to the milk industry. Can I ask, were you a paid consultant, and how recently?

Dr. AYOOB: Yes, I was, and it was last year. And I would also - well, I was actually asked to give them, along with some others, just sort of what I would call scientific counsel because of what I do in my normal day life. I'm an associate professor of pediatrics, but I also am a clinician. And after I hang up, I'm going to see patients all day. And so I'm very, very attuned to the issue of childhood obesity.

I have been sort of fighting it on a long-term basis for the last 25 years here. So I'm, you know, I fully understand the issue of extra calories and things like that. What I dont really understand, however, is that there's a lot of evidence that shows that kids who drink - and we're talking about low fat chocolate milk or fat free chocolate milk, okay? We're not talking about anything else here.

MARTIN: Mm-hmm.

Dr. AYOOB: Is that when kids have the choice, they will often chose chocolate milk but theyll also drink more milk. Theyll not only drink more in the way of, you know, theyll chose chocolate milk but kids who drink chocolate milk, also drink more white milk. And we know that about seven out of 10 kids have diets that are deficient in calcium.

And I guess what I also noticed, and whats happened in New York City, is when the districts here in the Bronx pulled chocolate milk off the menu, they found that there was a reduction in milk consumption by 10 percent. And thats concerning, because extrapolate that over the course of over the whole of New York City, which has 1.1 million kids, that would be 110,000 kids, who arent going to drink milk.

And Ill tell you, we need to think of this - not in terms of what goes on at the school day, but I think of it what happens after the school day is over. Because what I see, is when they come and sit in the waiting room here, is that when kids dont drink milk at lunch, not only are they not likely to get enough calcium for the day, but theyre also not going to get eight ounces of fluid. Theyre not going to get eight grams of protein. And theyre going to end up the school day more hungry and more thirsty.

MARTIN: So youre weighing the balance, youre saying on balance, it is still worth it to keep chocolate milk on the menu.

Dr. AYOOB: And not only my words though but this is specifically outlined in the dietary guidelines.

MARTIN: Okay okay, hold on a second. Im going to let Marlene respond a bit. Im going to ask Vivien Godfrey, the CEO of the Milk Processor Education Group, told us that most kids chose chocolate milk over plain milk. And she says that in the absence of chocolate milk, theyll chose to drink juice, soda, or water rather than plain milk.

So, Marlene, youve also done studies on children and their food choices, what about that?

Ms. SCHWARTZ: Well, what we found in our research, is essentially children drink whats served. And so, sure, if you put chocolate milk next to plain milk, a lot of children will chose the chocolate milk. Of course they will, because its higher in sugar and it tastes sweeter. I think the key is to really promote the drinks that you want them to be consuming. In this case it would be plain milk.

And in terms of the research, when Ive looked into the research on this, what I found in, you know, articles published in the journal of the American Dietetic Association last year that looked at national data, is that when youre looking at small children, the vast majority of them actually are exclusively plain milk drinkers.

So, I dont think were talking about the majority of children overall. And I think what this campaign is really about - its about the sale of chocolate milk in schools. And I think whats motivating it is not a lack of calcium in childrens diets, but rather the fact that 58 percent of the chocolate milk sold in this country is sold in schools. And I think theyre worried about losing that part of the market.

MARTIN: Well sure sure, that sounds plausible but the fact is what about what Mr. Ayoob said that - that a lot of the kids were getting their best nutrition at school, theyre not going to get the other stuff at home. What about that? Dont you find that (unintelligible).

Ms. SCHWARTZ: I think weve

MARTIN: Wait a minute, let Marlene respond to it and then Mr. Ayoob, Ill come back to you, briefly.

Ms. SCHWARTZ: My point is that, I think weve painted ourselves into a corner. Its just like with the soft drinks in the schools or with high sugar cereals in the schools, that they are already used to these extremely sweet beverages, and these, you know, sweet cereals. And so, of course, when you take them away theres going to be an adjustment period.

So, I am not surprised that, you know, consumption might have gone down, slightly, when they were taken out of the schools. But its almost like we need to retrain children.

MARTIN: Okay.

Ms. SCHWARTZ: Weve, you know, sort of fallen into this trap of just adding sugar to everything to their cereal, to their milk - and then were surprised when they have a preference for high sugar food.

MARTIN: All right, I gave you the first word. I am going to give Mr. Ayoob the last word. Mr. Ayoob, what about that? I mean, why not just offer the best choices and teach kids to chose that?

Dr. AYOOB: And that sort of a root canal approach, but I have to say that the amount of sugar thats in chocolate milk, or that amount of sugar that kids get in chocolate milk accounts to about two or three percent of the sugar that they get. And if we left out the less, you know, the more junkie drinks that kids drink, that would pretty much remove the vast majority of sugar.

Now, the dietary guidelines specifically cited flavored milk as a way to use some extra added, what they call discretionary calories, to drive the consumption of more nutrient rich foods like milk. So, its a good way to spend those extra calories that we all know kids are going to have to have on some level.

MARTIN: Its an interesting discussion and we thank you both so much for your work in this area and for talking to us about it. Keith Ayoob is a pediatric nutritionist for the Albert Einstein Medical Center. As he mentioned, he has previously been a paid consultant to the milk industry and he was kind enough to join us by phone from his office in New York.

Marlene Schwartz is the deputy director of Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. And she was kind enough to join us from the studios at Yale University. I thank you both so much.

Ms. SCHWARTZ: Thank you.

Dr. AYOOB: Thank you.

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This week the Milk Processor Education Program, in partnership with the National Dairy Council launched the campaign "Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk" to get support for the sweet beverage to stay on school menus. But some experts say, chocolate milk's extra calories will just help kids pack on the pounds.