When flavored, lowfat milk was removed from the school cafeteria, kids drank less milk and lost out on important nutrients. This was the finding of a study presented at the 2010 School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference
The study involved over 50 schools and included close to 700 observation days. When only regular milk was available, milk drinking dropped 35%–and some schools reporting a decrease of more than 50%. Milk is an excellent source of calcium, vitamins A and D, potassium, magnesium and protein. Often, minus milk, kids never make up these nutrient shortfalls.
Though parents and school administrators are well-meaning when they recommend that flavored milk be bumped from the cafeteria, these good intentions may not yield good results. Compared to soda or fruit drinks, lowfat chocolate milk—even with the extra sugar—comes packed with needed nutrients. In a perfect world our children would make perfect choices. In the real world a little lowfat chocolate milk might not be so bad.
