Removing Chocolate Milk From School Lowers Milk Intake By 50 Percent

Children may be more likely to eat something that's unhealthy for them, even when they're relatively aware that they should pick a healthier alternative.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan decided to see what would happen if chocolate milk was no longer an option in a sample of Canadian elementary schools. Would children be ok with regular milk in its place?

Unfortunately, study results showed a 50 percent drop in total milk intake.

As milk can play an essential role when it comes to receiving calcium and building strong bones for children, researchers were particularly disappointed by the outcome.

Though many schools have removed flavored milks due to excessive sugar hiding in the drinks, some health officials believe that because of the findings, leaving chocolate milk as an option in school cafeterias might just be a healthier option than eliminating it.

Furthermore, researchers found that many of the foods that children were eating did not provide enough calcium for them to replace a glass of milk at lunch.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the article "Impact of the removal of chocolate milk from school milk programs for children in Saskatoon Canada" was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

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