If we can't agree on chocolate milk...

[Aubrey]

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_food_and_farm_chocolate_milk

 

:svengo:

[Remudamom]

Dadgumit. I have no idea what the link is, but the mere sight of the words "chocolate milk" have me craving a chocolate milkshake.

 

Thanks a lot. 8(

 

 

 

I'm going to go fix one.

[Audrey]

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_food_and_farm_chocolate_milk

 

:svengo:

 

 

You know... if you're not a cow, there is no real reason why you need to drink cow's milk. At all. Ever.

 

And even cows don't drink chocolate or strawberry milk. You'd think people might at LEAST have the sense of a cow when it comes to milk. Or not. :tongue_smilie:

[Remudamom]

But I loooove milk. With Oreos and sphagetti and cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I especially love fresh milk with an inch of cream on top.

[jewellsmommy]

I, personally, never drank the choc. milk. Even now, if I make that rare glass of choc. milk, I barely put any chocolate in. I also don't care for packaged cocoa as it is too sweet. But, I admit I'm strange.

 

I wonder, can you sweeten choc. milk with stevia or a blend of stevia and sugar? The juices made with stevia are good.

[Remudamom]

Just realized, I guess I'm a cow.

[beaners]

At the very end of the article, a kid says that the regular milk doesn't taste good. The article implies that it is because kids prefer the sweetened alternatives. I am very fond of any type of milk except skim. The milk cartons my school served were awful. At some point, they had gotten too warm. It might have been while they were sitting near the register being sold, or it might have happened before they were delivered to the school. They never tasted the way milk usually does. I would never drink chocolate milk at home, but I'd buy it at school because the flavoring covered the off taste.

 

That may not have been what the child was referring to, but it was the first thing that came to my mind.

[jewellsmommy]

Why not just serve water or decaf unsweet tea. The kids will pick one or go thirsty. If mom wants them to have choc milk,she can send it with them herself.

[SBMama]

Just realized, I guess I'm a cow.

 

:lol: And now I am craving chocolate milk.

[Kirch]

You know, we can debate the nutritional value of drinking chocolate milk (or of drinking milk at all), but as far as the impact on the obesity rates in children? I really think they're barking up the wrong tree. Removing chocolate milk from schools would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Legislating/restricting food choices in school cafeterias isn't really going to do much good unless you can get parents and children both to be motivated to make healthier food choices all the time.

[Mergath]

Good grief. Let the kids drink water. Squeeze in a little lemon juice if it's such a problem.

 

Of course, for the parents who feed their kids a constant stream of processed food, suggesting their child drink a glass of water is probably tantamount to child abuse. Heaven forbid the kids not get their daily bucket of HFCS and refined sugar.

 

If the schools and the parents are so worried that the kids won't get enough vitamin D, maybe they should consider providing actual food at lunch.

[SonshineLearner]

Vitamin D can be given in capsule form; it's smaller than a vitamin e capsule.... and really... just fine...

:)

[Mergath]

You know, we can debate the nutritional value of drinking chocolate milk (or of drinking milk at all), but as far as the impact on the obesity rates in children? I really think they're barking up the wrong tree. Removing chocolate milk from schools would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Legislating/restricting food choices in school cafeterias isn't really going to do much good unless you can get parents and children both to be motivated to make healthier food choices all the time.

 

Not necessarily. I think there's a lot of good in legislating healthy food in schools. Kids like to eat foods that are familiar. School food might only constitute one meal a day, but if that meal is made up of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, the kids will learn to like that kind of stuff (or at least tolerate it) and will be more likely to eat at least a bit healthier over the course of their lives.

[Audrey]

Good grief. Let the kids drink water. Squeeze in a little lemon juice if it's such a problem.

 

Of course, for the parents who feed their kids a constant stream of processed food, suggesting their child drink a glass of water is probably tantamount to child abuse. Heaven forbid the kids not get their daily bucket of HFCS and refined sugar.

 

If the schools and the parents are so worried that the kids won't get enough vitamin D, maybe they should consider providing actual food at lunch.

 

 

Or, let them have a decent amount of recess time outdoors. That helps with both the Vitamin D and the obesity issue.

[Mergath]

Or, let them have a decent amount of recess time outdoors. That helps with both the Vitamin D and the obesity issue.

 

Healthy food and exercise outdoors? Let's not go crazy now. :tongue_smilie:

[Starr]

Dadgumit. I have no idea what the link is, but the mere sight of the words "chocolate milk" have me craving a chocolate milkshake.

 

Thanks a lot. 8(

 

 

 

I'm going to go fix one.

 

 

And that's why we home school. :D

[Jennifer3141]

Healthy food and exercise outdoors? Let's not go crazy now. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, the insanity! :D

 

And we are a flavored milk family. My crunchy friends laugh at me for letting the kids add chocolate or strawberry Nesquik to my expensive glass bottled, organic, hormone free milk. And my non-crunchy friends make fun of me for buying the expensive milk.

 

I like a big glass of chocolate skim milk myself.

[AndyJoy]

One of the elementary schools I attended had chocolate or rootbeer flavored milk on Fridays only.

 

Maybe an enterprising young student will start peddling "dime bags" of Nesquik in the halls if they ban chocolate milk.:lol:

[cindergretta]

Oh, the insanity! :D

 

And we are a flavored milk family. My crunchy friends laugh at me for letting the kids add chocolate or strawberry Nesquik to my expensive glass bottled, organic, hormone free milk. And my non-crunchy friends make fun of me for buying the expensive milk.

 

I like a big glass of chocolate skim milk myself.

 

Ditto!! :D

[Remudamom]

I'm now going to bed with my milkshake induced tummy ache.

[newlifemom]

One of the elementary schools I attended had chocolate or rootbeer flavored milk on Fridays only.

 

Maybe an enterprising young student will start peddling "dime bags" of Nesquik in the halls if they ban chocolate milk.:lol:

 

:D

[Peela]

Seems to me it should be fairly low on the priority list compared to other healthy changes. But I am in the no milk is healthy camp. Milk is promoted as an essential food because the dairy industry has a lot of power. No other animal drinks milk of another species, nor its own past weaning.

 

But I have a great chocolate milk recipe :) Its actualyl a chocolate green smoothie but you cant see or taste the green. Its basically almond milk, kale, raw cacao powder and honey. Yum. Just like a chocolate milkshake only..healthier.

[Aubrey]

You know... if you're not a cow, there is no real reason why you need to drink cow's milk. At all. Ever.

 

And even cows don't drink chocolate or strawberry milk. You'd think people might at LEAST have the sense of a cow when it comes to milk. Or not. :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree: But since that opinion seems so unpopular it makes people's eyes pop, I'd think that at LEAST someone w/ the label "nutritionist" could figure out that CHOCOLATE milk isn't good for you! (Yeah, I *know* better, but I continue to be amazed.)

[Aubrey]

Oh, the insanity! :D

 

And we are a flavored milk family. My crunchy friends laugh at me for letting the kids add chocolate or strawberry Nesquik to my expensive glass bottled, organic, hormone free milk. And my non-crunchy friends make fun of me for buying the expensive milk.

 

I like a big glass of chocolate skim milk myself.

 

I LOVE chocolate milk. But I don't count it on my healthy list. ;)

[Aubrey]

I'm now going to bed with my milkshake induced tummy ache.

 

:grouphug: Sorry.

[Aubrey]

You know, we can debate the nutritional value of drinking chocolate milk (or of drinking milk at all), but as far as the impact on the obesity rates in children? I really think they're barking up the wrong tree. Removing chocolate milk from schools would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Legislating/restricting food choices in school cafeterias isn't really going to do much good unless you can get parents and children both to be motivated to make healthier food choices all the time.

 

1. As long as parents believe that the food choices offered in schools are healthy, they will feel good about perpetuating them at home.

 

2. Poor kids eat school lunches free; sometimes breakfasts, too. This counts for a lot.

 

3. Foods offered in school cafeterias are *already* legislated and restricted. And *this* is what they've come up with! :svengo:

 

Where did any of us learn what was healthy? If our parents didn't know it, we "learned" from school, friends, etc. Most people *never* learn. Maybe this isn't the school's responsibility, BUT I don't think poor choices at home justifies poor choices for responsible legislation at schools. Parents spank in some homes; schools can't. Parents smoke, teach religion, do all kinds of things public schools aren't allowed to do.

 

So let US feed our children chocolate milk if we want to; don't do it for us!

[twoxcell]

What chocolate milk isn't healthy:001_huh::lol:! Try and tell that to my dh, he has ruined our children.

[RoughCollie]

I don't care if chocolate milk is served in schools. That's not the nutritional horse I want to ride because I think the bigger problems, at least in our local schools, are the fried and processed foods they serve.

[Margaret in GA]

What chocolate milk isn't healthy:001_huh::lol:! Try and tell that to my dh, he has ruined our children.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/09/flavored-milk-in-schools-_n_859311.html

 

"Chocolate milk is soda in drag"-- and it is. It has as much HFCS as a cola. And my kids do have a soda now and again, but every day is too much.

 

Margaret

[WishboneDawn]

You know... if you're not a cow, there is no real reason why you need to drink cow's milk. At all. Ever.

 

I consider, "It's yummy," to be a very real reason. :)

[unsinkable]

This board couldn't even agree on when/if to call 911 if a baby was born in distress...

 

I am sure chocolate milk is beyond its capabilities.

[Wheres Toto]

I consider, "It's yummy," to be a very real reason. :)

 

Yeah me too. :-)

 

BTW - Nesquik doesn't have HFCS in it. Not to say that makes it healthy but...

 

We have a can of the powder in our pantry so I checked that but here's a list of non HFCS foods that includes Nesquik.

[Chris in VA]

My dd's May school lunch menu has a cute cow in the corner hugging a carton of chocolate milk.

The text reads, "CHOCOLATE MILK IS BACK! NOW HEALTHIER! No High Fructose Corn Syrup. Reduced Sugar. No Fat. No Artificial Hormones."

 

The marketing is incredible.

 

I asked dd what kids are doing--she said they are drinking it again, whereas in the last month, when it was removed, they drank water.

 

Greeeaaat.

 

She has one occasionally as a treat--she agrees with the pp who said the white milk tastes gross, like the carton. Mostly she drinks water or might take a water bottle of lemonade (yeah, I know--not healthy--but that's only once a month at best).

[vonfirmath]

"No other animal does it" is not a good reason to give for anything.

Perhaps the reason we are the only animal who drinks other animal's milk is because we are the only "animal" CAPABLE of extracting other animal's milk... (After all, when given to them, cats will happily drink cow's milk and other kinds of milk as well!)

 

Humans are unlike other animals in MANY ways.

No other animal cooks their meat either.

Nor does any other animal use money as a form of exchange to get their food.

Most other animals do not guide and protect their young for as long as we do either.

No other animal makes and wears clothes from many different materials to protect themselves.

No other animals makes vehicles that go on land, water, and through the air, but are restricted to their natural means of propulsion.

No other animal evaluates the world around them and comes up with new ways to explain them, then passes that information down to their children, who can build on the knowledge...

Edited May 11, 2011 by vonfirmath

[KristinaBreece]

"No other animal does it" is not a good reason to give for anything.

Perhaps the reason we are the only animal who drinks other animal's milk is because we are the only "animal" CAPABLE of extracting other animal's milk... (After all, when given to them, cats will happily drink cow's milk and other kinds of milk as well!)

 

I'm telling you, it's because we're the only species with chocolate chip cookies.

[SonshineLearner]

Even with other factors not mattering, without the fat in the milk... even if you could use it after it's been processed so it's dead... your body can't use it.

 

Course, at my daughter's school they have fried burritos, Pizza is their favorite, candy all around them....on and on.. Chocolate milk is not the worse that's there. :(

[TKDmom]

Or, let them have a decent amount of recess time outdoors. That helps with both the Vitamin D and the obesity issue.

 

No, they couldn't possibly do that! They're too busy cramming test prep down their throats. No time for play! :glare:

 

When my dd was in school, she liked to eat school breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, she'd get something like a danish or French toast sticks. For lunch, she'd get strawberry milk and a cookie. She's get the main course, too. But I'm pretty sure she took two bites and dumped the rest in the trash. (And before you flame me for allowing her to eat a non-stop diet of sugar--I did address the problem. She's no longer eating any meals at school. :001_smile:)

 

Honestly, there's so much wrong with the school lunch system, I don't even know how they should go about fixing it. Chocolate milk seems relatively benign to me. Maybe they should stop selling ice cream bars and cookies before they ban chocolate milk...

[Mrs Mungo]

I like chocolate milk, I don't like plain milk. But, I rarely drink milk in any form (and definitely not Nesquik because we boycott Nestle). My kids like plain milk, they don't have the same issues I do. ;)

 

I agree that we only drink milk from another species because we are the only species with cookies. :p

[TKDmom]

I'm telling you, it's because we're the only species with chocolate chip cookies.

 

Mmmm....

 

This thread is making me hungry.

[Jennifer3141]

I'm telling you, it's because we're the only species with chocolate chip cookies.

 

You're brilliant, Kristina! :)

[WishboneDawn]

...or might take a water bottle of lemonade (yeah, I know--not healthy--but that's only once a month at best).

 

Not healthy is drinking lemonade everyday, several times a day. There's nothing "not healthy" about drinking it once a month or even a little more often. :)

[WishboneDawn]

I don't care if chocolate milk is served in schools. That's not the nutritional horse I want to ride because I think the bigger problems, at least in our local schools, are the fried and processed foods they serve.

 

My neice and nephew's school has gone the other direction. All foods sold in the school have to meet a certain standard of healthfulness and kids are not allowed to bring in "junk" food.

 

The result is that certain foods are vilified, parents are resentful and a reasonable attitude of moderation has been chucked out the window.

[kokotg]

School lunches are fascinating. Sometimes I feel guilty because my kids occasionally drink Sprite when we go out to dinner, and then I read about kids drinking chocolate milk every single day at school, and I feel much better about myself. chocolate milk is delicious, and, really, I'd rather my kids drink that than sprite, since it has fat and protein in it in addition to sugar, but I can't imagine letting them have it every day.

[twoxcell]

I was being sarcastic about chocolate milk being healthy. Also we make our own chocolate milk and it doesn't have any HFCS. If I give it to the kids I only add a little chcolate.

[kokotg]

...reading more of the article...I'm just so...not thinking like the people who plan school lunches. It's so weird to me that the idea is that we have to give kids flavored milk otherwise they--gasp!--won't drink milk at all! I don't think milk is evil; I think it's a pretty efficient way to get a lot of nutrients into kids, and it doesn't seem to have any negative effects for me or my kids. But I certainly don't think it's essential. Two of my kids don't drink milk unless it's chocolate, so they...don't drink milk very often.

[kimnc]

You know, we can debate the nutritional value of drinking chocolate milk (or of drinking milk at all), but as far as the impact on the obesity rates in children? I really think they're barking up the wrong tree. Removing chocolate milk from schools would be like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Legislating/restricting food choices in school cafeterias isn't really going to do much good unless you can get parents and children both to be motivated to make healthier food choices all the time.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

There are far worse things on the school lunch menus than chocolate milk. French fries, tater tots, fish sticks, etc. are a few that come to mind. Lots of fried, greasy stuff on the menus, even at elementary schools.

[twoforjoy]

:iagree::iagree:

 

There are far worse things on the school lunch menus than chocolate milk. French fries, tater tots, fish sticks, etc. are a few that come to mind. Lots of fried, greasy stuff on the menus, even at elementary schools.

 

And then there's the issue of so many schools cutting recess. Maybe if kids were allowed to run around outside for half an hour or 45 minutes after lunch, we wouldn't need to worry so much about how many calories had been in their meal.

[AnnaM]

Raw milk from pastured cows is actually a "complete" food. You could live on it soley if you needed to. The dairy industry has little to do with raw milk other than to perpetuate lies about how dangerous it is so can't pawn that one off on them.

 

That said-I doubt the schools will ever serve healthy food because it is more expensive. Perhaps it would be cheaper to give the families a refund towards the cost of lunches and have the parents pack them. Done right you can feed your kid a health(ier) meal for a few dollars a week.

[Susan in TN]

I say they should offer only water, coconut milk, and fresh goat's milk. They could raise the goats themselves as a school project.

[WishboneDawn]

I say they should offer only water, coconut milk, and fresh goat's milk. They could raise the goats themselves as a school project.

 

And grow the coconut trees?? :tongue_smilie: