Photo by: © istockphoto/carebott

Raising My Hand For Chocolate Milk

by Felicia Stoler, DCN, MS, RD
Photo by: © istockphoto/carebott

I’ve been thinking a lot about chocolate milk lately. And not just because it’s one of my favorite ways to get another serving of dairy in my day.

It actually started awhile ago when the question of whether or not to serve chocolate milk came up in a nearby school. A handful of parents felt kids should be drinking regular milk only due to concerns over extra sugar and calories in flavored milk.

As a registered dietitian and someone who is deeply entrenched in children’s nutrition issues, this set off alarm bells for me on a number of levels. Childhood obesity is a serious issue in our country today, but so is childhood nutrition. Study after study reveals that our children are not meeting their nutrient needs in many areas, including calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients that are abundant in milk.

Working with the school to address the concerns raised and keep chocolate milk on the lunch line, I quickly realized that many people simply do not know the facts on flavored milk and its important role in helping kids get the nutrition they need. That’s why I was extremely pleased when the nation’s dairy farmers and milk processors launched an education campaign to share the facts and science on flavored milk (www.raiseyourhand4milk.com) and asked if I’d be interested in serving as a program spokesperson. (That was a big “YES!”)

I encourage all moms to check out the Raise Your Hand web site and the educational materials offered to get the facts on chocolate milk and see what the science and leading health professional organizations have to say. Also, be sure to raise your hand by signing the online petition to show your support for chocolate milk and help spread the word. (You’ll see me and my kids raising our hands for chocolate milk alongside health and nutrition professionals, and even a few celebrity moms and dads.)

If I had to put it in a nutshell, here’s what I most want moms to know about flavored milk:

  • First and foremost, most health professionals and school nutrition professionals support the role of milk, including chocolate milk, in helping kids meet their daily nutrient needs. This includes the nation’s leading health and nutrition organizations such as the American Dietetic Association (ADA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Heart Association (AHA). In fact, the ADA and AAP put out a joint statement to help reinforce the science and nutritional benefits of flavored milk. See it here
  • Kids love the taste of chocolate milk and they’ll drink more milk overall when chocolate is included in the mix. That’s true at school, too. A recent study by Chartwells School Dining Services and presented at the American Dietetic Association’s annual meeting found that overall milk consumption dropped by as much as 67 percent(!!) when flavored milk was removed from schools. Too often, kids will turn to soda or water and miss out on the nutrients that are so important during these critical periods of growth.
  • But what about the additional sugar and calories, you ask? The majority of chocolate milk served in schools is lowfat or fat free. That’s about 60 calories more than regular lowfat or fat free milk – the equivalent of about half a banana. More importantly, research shows that children who drink lowfat or fat free flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added overall sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers. Studies have shown that flavored milk drinkers also drink fewer high-sugar soft drinks and fruit drinks, which is a positive swap.

    Again, you can get more information and the supporting science for all these points at Raise Your Hand 4 Milk. You can also visit the campaign on Facebook and see what other moms are saying about why they support chocolate milk.

    So raise your hand… and your next glass of lowfat chocolate milk with your kids knowing you’re helping them get essential nutrients they need.

Felicia Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, is a nutritionist and exercise physiologist focusing on child nutrition and host of TLC’s show “Honey We’re Killing the Kids.” Dr. Stoler serves as a spokesperson for the Raise Your Hand 4 Milk campaign and is pleased to be helping share the facts and science on flavored milk and its role in helping children get the nutrients they need with parents nationwide.

Editor’s Note This post was sponsored by America’s dairy farmers and milk processors.

Like This Article

Like Mamapedia

Learn From Moms Like You

Get answers, tips, deals, and amazing advice from other Moms.

97 Comments

As a Registered Dietitian with a Master's Degree in Foods and Nutrition, I feel there is nothing wrong with lowfat or fat free chocolate milk in schools. I would rather see kids drink lowfat or fat free chocolate milk rather than soda or fruit juices, loaded with high fructose corn syrup. I give my 3 year old lowfat chocolate milk in moderation. Milk is a great source of Calcuim and Vitamin D, which other beverages lack. I honestly think most nutrition professionals would agree...

See entire comment

Well, I do the best I can as a mom. I try not to be too rigid or lax and so I teach my kids daily what they need to fuel their bodies. What the best choices they can make are, but there are times every now and again when you need to experience life and enjoy also. So I on rare occaisions let them sample the not so good for you things. I hope to be able to teach them that they need to research their options & choices and not rely on looks or taste as those are used against you as a consumer...

See entire comment

You had me at "Chocolate"

Milk from cows is meant to put a minimum of 1,200 pounds on a calf in a year. It is full of fat. Goat's milk is more digestible for human beings.
With so many allergic to cows milk it is hard to be an advocate for milk drinking with or without chocolate.
For the record I kept milk goats for many years just to avoid the lactose intolerance problems my children had.

Regarding chocolate milk in school lunches. I am going to argue that chocolate milk is not good for our children to be drinking.

Milk served in schools is both pasteurized and homogenized. After it’s gone through both of those phases, it is no longer a living food but a dead food. If you want milk to actually give your body the nutrients it needs, it needs to be raw. Yes, I know all the things everyone is going to say about how bad raw milk is and that pasteurized/homogenized milk is better...

See entire comment

I am sorry but some of these comments are cracking me up. First of all NEVER believe everything you read. Milk has been a round for centuries and yes whole milk has fat in it. Yes, chocolate milk as more calories and fat than regular milk. However, it doesn't cause cancer...

See entire comment

This is basically a paid ad from the big dairy lobby.

American kids get too much chocolate and sugar as it is. Go back and read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books . . . candy was a once-a-year or store-trip treat. My daughter enjoys it at holidays and special occasions, but not daily.

Research MDs are now starting to view osteoporosis as an autoimmune disease (the protein that's critical for bone building gets attacked), not a deficiency disease...

See entire comment

Of course Felicia Stoler is for chocolate milk. She is a paid spokesperson for the dairy industry! The campaign is an offshoot of the National Dairy Council.

How irresponsible. Look at unbiased sources for information, moms.

With every topic where there is emotions one will find a diverance of thought. I have to say that as the mother of 5, the grandmother of several sweethearts I feel that as long as a child isn't only drinking chocolate milk then some now and again is just fine. I have one little one that won't drink milk otherwise, and 2 that think its great because its a treat at my home. It works for us...

See entire comment

Sponsored by an industry group. Right, yeah, whatever you say :-)

Is one chocolate milk a day really going to cause diabetes or obesity?? NO! Healthy eating habits and encouraging good choices in food will help stop these things :) So lets start at home as good parents and stop blaming the schools. If the extra calories are an issue- Tell your kids to get off the couch and stop playing video games- THATS A NO BRAINER! A better discussion should be on the waste that is being produced by school lunches-

This issue bothers me so much I can't stand it! What's wrong with good old fashioned whole milk??? This low fat craze is ridiculous! Kids aren't getting fat off whole milk- maybe just maybe its the chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries and all the other crap they serve in school. Its not only the schools- it Disney World, McDonalds, and all the other places that are frequented by children. I don't give my kids low fat milk...

See entire comment

Isn't this similar to putting vitamins in diet coke and calling it "healthy". I think good nutrition starts much earlier than elementary school. We need to start educating new parents to offer healthy snacks (fruits, veggies,non-flavored milks, etc) rather than high sugar, high fat, processed foods when kids start eating.

There is so much passion about dairy foods and many of the so called research proving it is bad is epidemiology. (study a group of people with disease and ask them about their childhood diet habits). Relies on accurate memories. It can show associations but not actual proof because of things that can also impact an outcome, such as osteoporosis, like heredity, weight, drinking, smoking and exercise. This type of research proves nothing but is the basis to do prospective studies...

See entire comment

Ok this is ridiculous. Considering the amount of sugar kids consume AT HOME instead of school, one little thing of chocolate milk a day is not going to matter much in the scheme of things. If you're going to insist that chocolate milk be banned then stop taking your kids to Carvel and shoveling fast food down their throats...

See entire comment

Leave a Comment

Required
Required (will not be published)
Required (to prove you're human)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on topic and not abusive
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us
Want to become a contributor?
Want to become a contributor?

If you'd like to contribute to the Wisdom of Moms on Mamapedia, please sign up here to learn more: Sign Up

Blogs and bloggers we love

Recent Voices Posts

See all