Recent Studies Reveal Importance of Offering Milk Choices
Encinitas Union School District returns student choice in milk selection for 2015-2016 school year
Milk Contains 9 Essential Nutrien ts
Calcium ã Protein ã Vitamin D ã Riboflavin ã Vitamin A
Vitamin B12 ã Niacin ã Phosphorus ã Potassium
New and Improved Recipe
When the Encinitas Union School District removed chocolate milk in 2012, the
chocolate milk contained high fructose corn syrup and 15 grams of added sugar. The
chocolate milk that is now served in our schools is a completely different product than
before. It has been reformulated to contain:
• Sucrose in place of high fructose corn syrup
• Only 6 grams of added sugar (about 1 teaspoon)
• As always, it contains no food coloring
Nutrition Facts
ü Fact #1: Flavored milk is a nutrient-rich beverage providing the same nine
essential nutrients as regular milk.
ü Fact #2: Milk provides three of five nutrients that fall short in children’s diets.
ü Fact #3: Each 8 ounce serving of milk provides 300 mg of calcium, which is 30%
of the Daily Value for calcium, and 8 grams of protein.
ü Fact #4: Enhancing the palatability of nutrient-dense foods, such as milk, may
improve overall nutrient intake and lead to healthier choices all day long.
Flavor is Part of the Solution
Government data shows
that 90% of girls and
70% of boys aren’t
getting enough calcium
in their diets. Research
shows that children who
According to a recent
analysis, it is estimated
that up to 55% of
adolescents may be
deficient in vitamin D,
putting them at risk for
drink flavored milk are
more likely to meet
daily calcium
recommendations
compared to their peers
who do not drink flavored
milk. Other research
suggests that students
who drink milk at
lunch are the only
group of young
people currently
getting enough
calcium.
osteoporosis and
debilitating bone
diseases. Milk is the
leading source of
vitamin D in the
western diet, and
flavored milk has the same
9 essential nutrients as
unflavored milk, with only
6 more grams of sugar
(about the same amount
of sugar in half of a
banana).
Repl acing Milk’s Nutrients Is Harder Than You Think
ü Total milk consumption drops 35% to 50% when flavored milk is not an option in the
school lunch program.
ü It would take 3 to 4 food items to match milk’s nutrient contribution.
ü Increased calories and fat would be added to compensate for the lack of milk.
ü Roughly half the sugar would be added back weekly by other sources.
ü When children have the option of chocolate milk, they are less likely to consume other
less nutritious sweet drinks like soft drinks and fruit drinks.