Parents Can Feel Good About Flavored Milk

Flavored milk can make a difference in how much milk your children drink. It's fun and it tastes good. It's also very nutritious. Like all milk, flavored milk is a rich source of calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, potassium and niacin. Milk's nutrients, especially calcium, are necessary for developing strong bones and teeth. Each 8-ounce serving of white or flavored milk provides 300 mg of calcium, about one-third to one-fourth of children's daily calcium requirement. What's more...

• Flavored milk, just like white milk, provides children with three of the five nutrients that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) indentify as falling short in children's diets — calcium, potassium and magnesium.
• Children drink more milk when it's flavored.
• While there are some added sugars, research shows that flavored milk drinkers do not have higher intakes of added sugars or total fat compared to children who do not drink flavored milk.
• Compared to their peers, children who drink flavored milk drink more milk overall and are more likely to meet their calcium needs without consuming more total fat and calories, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association
• Like white milk, flavored milk also provides three of the five nutrients identified in DGAs as problem nutrients for children — calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Learn more about flavored milk's nutrient contributions, including information that addresses behavioral concerns, in Flavored Milk in Perspective.

Added Sugars and Flavored Milk
Children drink more sodas and fruit drinks, and less milk, as they get older. These sweetened drinks represent the single, leading source of added sugars in children's diets, contributing 24 percent or one-fourth of added sugars that children consume. In comparison, flavored milk contributes a very small percentage — only 2 percent — of added sugars. The DGA note that adding small amounts of sugar to foods, like low-fat milk, may make them more appealing and improve nutrient intake without adding lots of calories.

Frequently Asked Questions
If you're like other parents, you have lots of questions about flavored milk. Find answers to questions about nutrition, hyperactivity, tooth decay and more.

Backed by Research
A myriad of studies support the benefits of children drinking flavored milk and confirm its role in a healthy diet. Here is a quick glimpse:

• A 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics report encourages children and teens to consume 3-A-Day™ of Dairy, including flavored milk, to help build strong bones and reduce their risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life
• A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that 6-to-17-year-olds who consume more than 6 to 8 ounces of flavored dairy products, such as milks, yogurts and puddings, every day have better diets than those who regularly drink sodas and sweetened fruit drinks.
• A University of Vermont study found that children who drink flavored milk are more likely to meet their daily calcium requirements compared to their peers; consume more calcium, without increasing their total added sugar or fat intake; and consume more milk overall.
• Studies show that when children drink milk at lunch, they have higher intakes of several critical nutrients, including calcium, zinc and vitamin A. In one study, only children who drank milk at lunch met their daily calcium requirements.

Help Your Kids Choose Milk at School
Along with fruits, vegetables and whole-grains, the DGA call out the Milk Group as a Food Group to Encourage.

The New Look of School Milk encourages kids to drink more milk by serving it:

• Ice cold, the way kids like it
• In a variety of flavors
• In kid-friendly, plastic bottle

Surveys also show that kids like school milk in plastic bottles because they think it tastes better. Moms support it because they think their children are more likely to drink milk in plastic bottles.

Learn more about the New Look of School Milk.

• Print this sample letter and send it to your school principal or nutrition director.
• Attend school board and PTA/PTO meetings to discuss the importance of offering healthier food and beverage options as part of your school's wellness policy and share this handout (PDF) about dairy's role with other parents.
• Contact your local Dairy Council® to learn more about the New Look of School Milk in your area and ways they can assist your school in exploring the program.
• Ask your school nutrition director about vending offerings. A number of schools today offer flavored milk and bottled water in vending.

Recycling is another excellent reason to get the New Look of School Milk.

Plastic Milk Bottles Help Schools Go Green

• Plastic bottles are recyclable and are far easier to recycle than paperboard milk cartons, as there are very few facilities capable of handling the polycoated cartons.
• Recycling a ton of plastic bottles saves the equivalent of 3.8 barrels of oil.
• It helps our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving landfill space.
• Plus, it teaches students social responsibility and respect for the environment.
• Learn more about recycling plastic milk bottles.