Flavored milk: Is it still a nutritious choice?

Ask anyone who works in a school cafeteria, and they will tell you that flavored milk is by far the more popular choice as compared to white milk. But is it a good choice?

With the nation focusing on improving childhood nutrition and health, some schools have removed flavored milk as a choice for students based on the concern that it contributes to obesity.

Nearly 1/3 of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and are at risk of nutrient deficiencies. National surveys show dramatic shifts in what children are choosing to drink in the past 25-30 years, with the trend moving away from milk and toward beverages such as soda and fruit drinks. I propose that the above statistics are not due to flavored milk being offered as a choice to students in the school cafeteria.

Research shows that drinking flavored milk is NOT associated with adverse effects on a child's body mass index. In fact, when low-fat or fat-free flavored milk is offered, children drink more milk, thus increasing their intake of calcium, potassium, Vitamin D and other essential nutrients found in milk.

Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients found in white milk. But what about all the added sugar in flavored milk?

On average, flavored milk accounts for only 3 percent of total added sugars and 2 percent of total calories in children's diets. The dairy industry continues to reformulate flavored milks to lower the added sugars and calorie content while preserving the nutritional value and taste appeal.

The bottom line is this: kids (and adults) need milk. The childhood obesity epidemic is, rightfully, a concern. However, removing flavored milk as a choice in school may result in unintended consequences related to children's nutrient intake and health.

Many children will not drink milk, if flavored milk is not available. Most leading health and nutrition organizations and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize the beneficial role of low-fat and fat-free flavored milk in children's diets and acknowledge that the small amount of added sugars in flavored milk is a worthwhile trade-off for the nutrients provided.

Milk -- even flavored milk -- still does a body good.