With the ongoing debate over flavoured milk in schools, many of the nation’s milk processors have been hard at work over the last five years with their local districts to lower the calories and sugar in this drink.
This school year, the majority of cartons of flavoured milk will be less than 150kcals. It’s projected to contain, on average, 31kcals more than white milk, which is the result of ongoing work by the nation’s milk processors to provide nutritious new products with the same taste.
Continuing a five-year trend in school milk changes, the industry’s reformulations are projected to result in fat-free and low-fat chocolate milks, with 38% less added sugar in the last five years, according to a new national analysis of flavoured milk in school.
Milk companies across the US are reformulating flavoured milk to lower total calories and decrease added sugars and fat, while preserving its nutritional value and taste appeal. These new products aim for 150kcals and fewer than 22g of total sugar per 8oz serving.
Due to concerns about childhood obesity, some schools have made the decision to remove chocolate and other flavoured milks from school canteens.
Sandra Ford, School Nutrition Association (SNS), says: “It’s important for parents to recognise the implications of removing chocolate milk from school meals. Federal nutrition standards require every school meal to be served with nutrient-rich milk.
“If the milk choices don’t include flavoured milk, many kids will choose to go without milk altogether, and we’ll be missing an opportunity to provide the nutrients that help them do their best. As schools work hard to cut calories from their menus, let’s make sure we’re not cutting critical nutrients from our students’ diets too.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association and other groups agree that flavoured milk is a positive trade-off for soft drinks, which are the primary source of added sugars in a child’s diet. Flavoured milk accounts for only 3% of total added sugars in children’s diets.
Source: The Milk Processor Education Program
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