Cheers for chocolate milk on World School Milk Day

School students from over 80 countries will be celebrating World School Milk Day on 29 September. And the good news for students is that research is increasingly supporting the importance of flavoured milk.

A new US study, released by the Milk Processor Education Program, showed that eliminating chocolate milk and other flavoured milks from the school canteen resulted in a dramatic drop in milk consumption.

The study, which measured milk consumption over three months at 58 schools, found that when flavoured milk was removed from the lunch line, milk consumption dropped an average of 35 per cent, along with a substantial reduction in nutrients including protein, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin A and potassium.

Calcium and magnesium, two nutrients that are critical for children’s growth and development, are already low in the diets of Australian children, with a high percentage of children aged 9–16 years not consuming enough calcium.

And these nutrients are not easy to find from other sources. The researchers concluded that it would take up to four different types of foods to match the nutrient contribution of milk – which would also add significant cost and excess calories to children’s food intake.

According to Nutrition Australia Executive Officer, Lucinda Dobson, offering flavoured milk in school canteens is important, because it gives children a very easy way to get a good source of key nutrients needed to support bone development during the peak bone building years.

In fact, Australian research shows that dairy foods such as milk contribute to more than half of children’s dietary calcium, iodine and vitamin A intakes and about a quarter of their protein, riboflavin, phosphorous, potassium and zinc intakes.¹

Dairy Australia dietitian, Glenys Zucco, says, "Flavoured milk is a nutrient-rich beverage providing the same ten essential nutrients as plain milk, and has about the same amount of sugar as an equal serve of unsweetened orange juice."

"Studies have shown children who drink flavoured milk drink less soft drinks, meet more of their nutrient requirements, and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.^2,3"

"An added advantage is that like some commercial sports drinks, flavoured milk contains carbohydrates, fluids and electrolytes, making it an ideal rehydration and recovery drink for active kids – with the added bone building benefits," Ms Zucco adds.

World School Milk Day, now in its 11th year, celebrates milk as one of the best drinks for school children around the world.

References

1. "Assessment of 2007 Dairy Intakes in Children" Secondary Analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, by CSIRO, 2009. The 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was jointly funded by the Australian Government (through the Department of Health and Ageing, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) and the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
2. Johnson RK, Frary C, Wang MQ. The nutritional consequences of flavored-milk consumption by school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102(6):853-856. [Full text]
3. Murphy MM, Douglas JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in US children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(4):631-9. [Abstract]

(Source: Dairy Australia)