Campaign Reveals Nutrition Impact of Chocolate Milk in School Meals

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Unfortunately, studies show that when kids aren’t offered chocolate milk during school meals, they don’t necessarily replace it with white milk. As a result, kids drink less milk overall.

Madison, WI (PRWEB) August 31, 2010

Chocolate milk is strong – for minds, bodies and school meals. That’s the message the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) is spreading with online information at http://www.ChocolateMilkHasMuscle.com.

WMMB is launching a campaign this month to educate parents, teachers and kids about the importance of keeping chocolate milk in schools at a time when many school systems are being asked to remove it from the menu.

The website features information discovered in a recent study funded by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP). According to the study, when chocolate milk is removed from a meal, essential nutrients go with it. Replacing the nutrients found in chocolate milk with other food and beverages commonly served in schools isn’t practical. Not only does it cost more, it adds additional calories and fat, the study states.

Unfortunately, studies show that when kids aren’t offered chocolate milk during school meals, they don’t necessarily replace it with white milk. As a result, kids drink less milk overall. If chocolate milk isn’t available, and students choose orange juice fortified with calcium instead of white milk, the following would need to be added to a meal to replace the missing nutrients:

ª 1/2 cup of diced cantaloupe
ª Half of a medium-sized apple with the skin
ª 1/2 cup of cooked baked beans

However, by including those items to get the needed nutrients, an additional 171 calories are added to the meal. The study shows there is no single food that can do the job of replacing the combination of nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, and potassium found in significant quantities in chocolate milk.

Lately, there have been a lot of questions raised about chocolate milk and the value it brings to children’s diets. WMMB’s chocolate milk site will address those questions, and provide honest, straightforward answers, so parents can be informed when voicing an opinion about their family’s health.

The website also compares nutritional differences between chocolate milk and other beverage options often found in schools, such as orange juice, soda and sports drinks.

For more information about chocolate milk, visit http://www.ChocolateMilkHasMuscle.com.

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization funded by the dairy farmers of Wisconsin, promotes the consumption of milk and other dairy products. For more information, visit http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com.

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