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Education Dive
Chocolate milk debate rages on as more districts ban the beverage
Shawna De La Rosa
Sept. 27, 2019
Dive Brief:
The Tempe Elementary School District in Arizona is the latest district
to ban chocolate milk, and the New York City Department of Education
could be among the next to cut the drink from school menus in an effort
to make school lunches healthier, District Administration reports.
Tempe parents haven’t voiced complaints about the chocolate milk ban,
but some New Yorkers aren't happy about it and say the ban would hurt
dairy farmers. Those opposed are also citing research claiming
chocolate milk helps students reach recommended daily vitamin levels.
Washington, D.C.; Rochester, NY; Minnesota and San Francisco schools
have already banned flavored milk, while Detroit and Los Angeles have
reinstated it following prior bans.
Dive Insight:
Districts are on the right track when searching for ways to improve
nutrition and cut the sugar content of school lunches. A study led by
the Yale School of Public Health shows school policies and programs can
reduce the obesity levels of students, showing students who attended
schools with healthy school lunch policies had lower average BMIs than
those who didn’t.
The study looked at schools with policies that made sure all school
meals met federal guidelines, and nutrition information was shared with
parents and students. Water was encouraged as the beverage of choice
over sugary drinks.
As part of the "Let’s Move!" program, former first lady Michelle Obama
championed a school lunch overhaul that would reduce the amount of
sugar, sodium and fat in food sold at schools. More whole grains,
fruits and vegetables were served, and whole and low-fat flavored milk
were prohibited.
The rules on sodium and flavored milk are easing under the Trump
administration, but some states are pushing back. A group of states,
led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, recently sued U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue over changes to
the school lunch program, saying that relaxing the rules ignores
research and can contribute to childhood obesity.
Whether chocolate milk is harmful or helpful is up for debate. Some
medical professionals tout chocolate milk as a recovery drink for
athletes because it provides fluid and electrolytes, is a good source
of protein, and replenishes carbohydrates and necessary vitamins.
The downside is that chocolate milk does have added sugar and sometimes
contains high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that has been linked
to obesity and diabetes.
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