Chocolate Milk is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Lunchroom…Gets No Respect

For the past three or so years now, there’s been a very contentious debate on the admission of chocolate milk in the lunchroom.  The blogosphere is packed with both supporters and critics, and some districts across the U.S. have issued a ban (in some cases, only to reinstate the beverage soon after).  In terms of the scientific support, there is both national survey information, as well as localized research both leading to similar results.  There are two commonly referenced data points.  Approximately 70 percent of the milk served in lunchroom nationwide is flavored, and when flavored milk was removed from schools, children drank about 35 percent less milk.  This latter figure I find the most interesting.  Of course, chocolate milk is not as healthy as plain milk, but is this the lunchroom food fight we should be having? 

Kids are already falling short on essential vitamins and minerals, and milk, including chocolate milk, is loaded with Vitamins A and D, as well as calcium and potassium.  According to the New York Times, nearly three-quarters of teens are deficient in Vitamin D, and The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development claims less than 10 percent of girls and only 25 percent of boys 9-13 years old meet or exceed adequate intakes of calcium.  The primary argument for banning the beverage is in regards to the sugar content.

I found Chef Marshall O’Brien to have a fair assessment of the situation in his blog post entitled “Chocolate milk for school lunch? Yes, with an asterisk.”  In the current state of school lunches, kids will have a hard time obtaining the nine essential nutrients chocolate milk brings to the table.  The budgets are large enough and the culinary skills aren’t sharp enough to bring balanced, diverse and nutritious options for kids.  The countless studies can’t be denied.  Let’s focus the conversation on fried foods, heavily processed foods and beverages laden with empty calories like sugary fruit drinks and sodas.

The new direction with chocolate milk is the right one.  ABC News reports that chocolate milk is now being reformulated with reduced calories and fat, more natural sugars and the elimination of high fructose corn syrup. 

Now what about the rest of the food tray?