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Should chocolate milk be served in schools or banned from schools?
Read the articles and watch the videos below to learn about both sides of this argument.
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BROOKE FRIEDGOOD
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Get Schooled on Flavored Milk

Should we offer kids low-fat flavored milk in schools? Let the facts put your sugar fears to rest.

Kids need the nutrients in milk.

Milk is the number one source for three of the four nutrients that kids are lacking, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Drinking flavored milk can help children meet the recommendation for three daily servings of dairy foods, while providing key nutrients necessary for growth and development.

Less Sugar Than You Think

Flavored milk in schools today doesn't have as much sugar as the kind you buy in the grocery store - on average, just 6 grams of added sugars.

School Flavored Milk contributes 4% of added sugar and the same 13 essential nutrients as white milk to kids' diets.

Carbonated Soda and Fruit Drinks contribute 45% of added sugar and little to no nutrients to kids' diets.

On average, each carton or serving of flavored milk a child drinks at school has only 6 grams of added sugar and 120 calories.

Kids drink less milk when they can't get flavored.

A national study showed that when you remove flavored milk from elementary schools, kids drink 35 percent less milk - and that number did not rebound over time. A similar study in Canada showed that overall milk consumption decreased by 48 percent in a four-week period.

Flavored milk drinkers are just as likely to maintain a healthy weight as other kids.

Children who drink flavored milk, drink more milk overall, have better quality diets, do not have higher intakes of added sugar or fat and are just as likely to be at a healthy weight when compared with kids who do not drink flavored milk.

More Research:

Dairy farmers are working with local schools to keep kids healthy.
Learn how

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Should we offer kids low-fat flavored milk in schools? Let the facts put your sugar fears to rest. Milk is the number one source for three of the four nutrients that kids are lacking, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

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Milk Packs a Nutritious Punch!

Creamy, cool milk is one of the best-and tastiest-ways to help ensure your diet is nutritious and balanced. Milk provides nine essential nutrients in each serving: protein, calcium, phosphorus, , vitamins A and D and four B vitamins-B12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin. That's quite a glassful!

Milk is enjoyed all over the world not only for its taste and nutrition, but for its economic value. Penny for penny, it's hard to match the nutritional return milk provides for families in America and worldwide.

But that's not all! You can rely on milk's versatility to delight your palate day after day. Enjoy low-fat or fat-free options or try lactose-free milk. (And, of course, there's always that all-time favorite: chocolate milk.)

There are countless ways to add milk's nutritious benefits to your diet. Check out our recipes and see for yourself!

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Creamy, cool milk is one of the best-and tastiest-ways to help ensure your diet is nutritious and balanced. Milk provides nine essential nutrients in each serving: protein, calcium, phosphorus, , vitamins A and D and four B vitamins-B12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin. That's quite a glassful!

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Nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt support positive health outcomes.

Milk + Dairy Resources

Explore Common Milk + Dairy Topics

Did you know June is National Dairy Month?

Dairy foods taste good and are good for you! Celebrate the important role they play in nourishing people and supporting healthy communities.

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Milk and dairy nutrition information backed by evidence-based science.

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No image available And {{products.length - 5}} additional items, click here to review your cart. Nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt support positive health outcomes. Milk + Dairy Resources Explore Common Milk + Dairy Topics Did you know June is National Dairy Month? Dairy foods taste good and are good for you!

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Video: The Doctors: Refuel with Low Fat Chocolate Milk

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Video: The Doctors: Refuel with Low Fat Chocolate Milk

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For several years, schools have been under increasing pressure to churn out healthier lunch offerings for students. As a result, there has been talk about banning sugar-laden chocolate milk, and some schools have gone through with that ban. According to the results of a new study, while the loss of chocolate milk does indeed reduce sugar intake, it also creates a few negative repercussions of its own, including lowering kids' calcium intake and increasing milk waste.

Researchers from Cornell University surveyed 11 elementary schools in Oregon that have banned chocolate milk and replaced it with skim and found that, since the changeover, milk sales have dropped by 8 percent. Of the skim milk that was sold, 29 percent wound up in the garbage. The changes resulted in fewer calories and less sugar for kids, the team said, but also brought a drop in calcium and protein intake.

"While this policy does eliminate the added sugar in chocolate milk, it also introduces a new set of nutritional and economic consequences," the researchers said in a statement. "Children typically don't choose foods for health, but rather for taste."

Oddly, they also found that around seven percent of students just gave up on school lunch entirely after the chocolate milk exodus, possibly in protest of the loss of their favorite cafeteria treat.

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Schools Ban Chocolate Milk; Kids Just Stop Drinking Milk Altogether

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Kids wind up consuming less protein and wasting more milk when skim is all that's on the shelves

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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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Chocolate Sugary Drinks Can Be Unhealthy, But Is Cow's Milk Unhealthy, Too?

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Chocolate Sugary Drinks Can Be Unhealthy, But Is Cow's Milk Unhealthy, Too?

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Chocolate Milk: More Harmful than Healthful

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Chocolate Milk: More Harmful than Healthful

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Video: Dairy Nutrition FAQ - Flavored Milk

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Video: Dairy Nutrition FAQ - Flavored Milk