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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – As the school year starts, the school lunch program kicks into gear. For many children, especially those from families with limited incomes, school feeding programs are a lifeline for healthy eating. Banning flavored milk from school lunch has become a flashpoint in many school districts and it has been removed from many lunch programs. Is this a good idea? The evidence does not back up this decision and in many cases, after removing flavored milk from school lunch, the quality of the lunch eaten goes down.
Why is milk important for kids? Milk contains protein plus the minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins A, D, B12, riboflavin and niacin. It is needed to develop strong bones and teeth and contributes to overall health. Bone mass accumulated during childhood lays the foundation for healthy bones as we age. When bones are forming, if mineral intake is low, this shortfall cannot not be made up later in life. This could lead to more fractures and possible years of disability. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2 cups of low fat or fat free milk (or equivalent – cheese or yogurt) each day for kids aged 2 to 8 years old. Three cups a day are recommended for those over age 9. Many fall short of this recommendation because US kids drink more soda than milk every year.
This makes the milk provided in school even more important. Soda is never offered as part of school lunch programs. So if the kids are offered milk, they usually drink milk. At least that was the case in the past. With the new push to remove flavored milk at lunch, milk drinking is falling. Researches from the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0091022) collected data from schools that had banned chocolate milk from cafeterias. Their results should be considered by every school considering this action. When the flavored milk was banned, total milk sales went down 10% and milk waste went up as high as 40% in some schools. Plus 7% of students opted out of the school lunch program.
It is true that when children drink regular nonfat milk they are getting less fat and sugar. But, if they throw that choice in the garbage, they are losing out on all the benefits from milk. If they opt out of school lunch altogether they lose out on even more. In a perfect world it would be wonderful if every child drank low fat or fat free plain milk. But, in a world where many kids drink soda and overly sweetened drinks every day, drinking chocolate milk is not a bad alternative.
Something else that school administrators should consider is that chocolate milk may be better tolerated by Hispanic and African-American children who are more likely to have lactose intolerance (the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk). Flavored milks usually contain 2 to 4 teaspoons of added sugar which will add 30 to 60 extra calories to an 8-ounce serving. The extra sugar can be kept low by selecting brands that add less. And, though we definitely consume too much sugar every day, if you compare flavored milk to soda or presweetened drinks, milk is the winner with less added sugar and many more nutrient benefits.
In an interesting twist on the chocolate milk debate, some current research (http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=e702beaa-0dc4-4a89-80e1-5945f94be29f&cKey=9fba63d2-cb71-45f4-9f48-92a323798168&mKey=%7BF47226D4-58C6-42B9-A68C-9E79FDBBFD69%7D) with college swimmers showed that low fat chocolate milk was beneficial after strenuous exercise. Chocolate milk helped the swimmers refuel. It has the right mix of protein and carbs to rebuild and nourish exhausted muscles and provides fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. Chocolate milk improved the swimmers’ performance when compared to commercial sports drinks or water. Offering nonfat chocolate milk to younger athletes could instill a healthy practice and steer them away from energy drinks which are often too high in caffeine for kids.
Bottom line: As the school year starts the chocolate milk debate will continue. Well-intentioned parents and school administrators need to explore concrete evidence before they make a decision, however well-intentioned, that could have unintended consequences.
For school districts considering switching regular fat free white milk for flavored milk, I’d suggest a simple experiment to gather evidence from your school population. Put trash bins in the school cafeteria marked Milk Containers Only. Collect and measure the waste for a couple of months to see if your milk-switch experiment is having a positive outcome. It may. But, if it does not and milk is being wasted, consider re-examining your good intentions.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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