In tune with the season, we’re writing about school related topics in the last few weeks. Today, some promising news on the chocolate milk front. AS you know, chocolate milk is a very contentious issue in this country. The lines have been drawn by the dairy industry – either kids drink “flavored milk” or they won’t drink milk at all. Countless press releases and industry sponsored studies point to the fact that plain milk simply does not work for kids.
What drove us bonkers here at Fooducate is the binary nature of the argument. Either chocolate milk with 3 tsp of added sugar, or plain milk with no added sugar at all. (Note: plain milk has 3 tsp of naturally occurring sugar , lactose, per cup).
What about flavored milk that has just 1 added tsp of sugar instead of 3? We asked USDA secretary Tom Vilsack, we asked the National Dairy Council, but never got a good answer. At best the mumbled reply was “kids prefer flavored milk”.
That’s why yesterday’s press release by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) gave us a glimmer of hope:
Milk companies across the U.S. are reformulating flavored milk to lower total calories and decrease added sugars and fat, while preserving its nutritional value and taste appeal. These new products aim for 150 calories and fewer than 22 grams of total sugar (or 10 grams of added sugars) per 8-ounce serving. read more…
OK, so the change is not dramatic. They are lowering added sugars from 3 tsp (12 grams) to 2.5 tsp (10 grams).
But hey, it’s a start. If every school year we go down another half a teaspoon, in just a few more years we’ll be down to our suggested 1 tsp of added sugar. And kids wil love it.
Wishful thinking?
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