Chocolate Milk Has No Place in School

on August 22, 2011 at 9:40 AM

It's a battle that's been raging in various parts of the country for some time now -- should schools serve chocolate milk? Currently embroiled in the dairy debate is The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District that will vote this week as to whether flavored milks will be served in their cafeterias. I don't really see much to debate as the answer should be a clear and decisive no.

I understand all the arguments in favor of serving the flavored stuff -- that kids won't get enough calcium without it -- but literally sugarcoating it isn't the way to get them to do so or, more importantly, to teach them lifelong healthy eating habits. It's just as bad as dousing vegetables with butter or putting fruit in ice cream to get them to eat it ... and it's another example of adults pandering to spoiled children instead of standing up to them and making them do the right thing.

Plus, there are plenty of other ways to get calcium from vegetables to yogurt and cheese. Kids don't need milk to be healthy; they need a well-balanced diet that's not saturated with sugar. And yes, I've seen some of the studies that say chocolate milk is good for the heart, but so is wine. You're not going to serve kids some Merlot at mealtime now are you?

Last year in the California school district, 76 percent of the milk served was chocolate flavored, according to the Los Angeles Times. Of course it was, because it was offered.

I don't blame chocolate milk alone for our nation's obesity problem, but I do think our mentality to try and coax children to eat healthy foods by covering them up instead of teaching them to appreciate and enjoy good, simple whole foods is definitely contributing to the problem. Pandering to picky eaters just exacerbates the problems.

While they're at it, I wish they'd ban all juices in schools too. There's no need for them, and if white milk and water were kids' only choices, then guess what they'd drink? Those are the only choices in my house, and the only things my kids ever drink unless they're at a party or some special occasion. School, however, isn't a special occasion, and there's no place for chocolate milk there.

Do you think chocolate milk should be served in schools?

Image via ratexla/Flickr

About the author Julie Ryan Evans

can be found writing from coffee houses wherever she may be. The quality of her days is largely influenced by the seat she nabs and whether a protein plate is available.

Filed Under: back to school, education, in the news

Comments (99)

Melissa042807

on Aug 22, 2011 at 9:44 AM

No, I don't think chocolate milk should be served in schools. Kids need milk. Not sugar. And they say they want to "teach kids to make healthy choices by giving them choices", but seriously, you put regular milk next to chocolate milk, what do you think a six year old is gonna choose? DUH.

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tinypossum

on Aug 22, 2011 at 9:51 AM

I agree with you, totally.

buffalove23

I have to say with banning juice if they would have done that in my school I wouldn't have had anything to drink at lunch when I bought...you had to pay for water (it was bottled and we had no drinking fountain) and I'm lactose so I can't have the milk. We were served 100% juice thought which is better then the "juice drink" machine we had in elementary school.

zandhmom2

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:02 AM

You know my kids eat a well balance diet at home and drink white milk, water and sometimes juice. I do put butter on our vegetables (usually just a sliver) and I don't find anything wrong with that. I know some people who cover broccoli in cheese sauce ~ I would rather do the butter. My kids do eat junk foods BUT both of my kids also exercise daily. My 16 yr lifts weights and runs either outside or on the treadmill and my 11 yr rides her bike and/or scooter everyday. They both walk home from school (son about 1 mile, daughter about 1/2 mile) I guess my point is, my kids are healthy and active and if they drink 1 small chocolate milk a day it certainly isn't going to destroy their health. My daughter school this past year built a running track and started a running club where all the kids got tokens for each mile they ran. My daughter earned 47! Kids in her school just couldn't get enough of running (which they did during recess everyday) and that taught the kids more about exercise and health then just saying "NO, you can't have chocolate milk!) If our schools and parents were really concerned about our children's health, they were insert more exercise and serve all over better food.

slbewing

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:07 AM

Chocolate Milk = Adults Pandering to Spoiled Children??? Pandering to picky eaters just exacerbates the problems. WTH???? I completely disagree with the entire article.

Nonmember comment from me

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:08 AM

zandhmom2 so, it's great that your kids are healthy and active, but a. not all kids are and chocolate milk doesn't help. and b. if your kids are healthy and active and eat healthy and you feel they deserve a little treat, that's fine, you can provide the chocolate milk. My daughter won't even drink the chocolate milk, she says it's too sweet.

SandMsMama

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:12 AM

I have a 2 yr old and a 1 yr old who will eat anything. why? because I stuck to my guns and made them eat the healthy stuff. I don't give in when they start getting picky, so they both got over that early. I 100% believe that picky eaters is a condition caused by parents giving in too easily. be a parent not a partner!!

Facebook comment from Austin Horsegal

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:15 AM

I don't see anything wrong with offering flavored milks in school. This sounds like another example of attempting to legislate common sense or good parenting. Taking chocolate milk off the school menu will not instantly cause every child's family to start making great food choices at home, or even better teaching their children to do so. Also, fats are a necessary part of making vitamins available to our bodies, so while you don't want to drown your greens in grease, you do want to make sure there is some fat on every vegetable you serve. I can't recall, but I think maybe it's vitamin A that needs a small amount of fat to be bio-available to us.

and let me add, my children won't be going to public schools because I don't want my kids being exposed to the plethora of spoiled children there! I guess parents think it's cute to have a bratty kid these days but I DO NOT.

kjbugsmom1517

on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:17 AM

Or maybe parents should be showing good eating habits. My daughter will drink white or chocolate and to change it strawberry milk is sometimes offered. She changes it up on her own. Kids learn there habits at home. Jus sayin