Flavored Milk
Are You Concerned about Flavored Milk?
Kids are in a calcium crisis - they need more milk more often, and flavored milk can help close the gap. Flavored milks are nutrient-rich, providing the same nutrients and benefits as unflavored milk. Flavored milk provides three of the five nutrients that fall short in children’s diets, including calcium, potassium and magnesium1. Currently, more than half of children ages 2 to 8 and three out of four children ages 9 to 19 do not get the recommended daily servings of lowfat or fat-free milk or milk products2.
Flavored milk not only provides plain milk’s full nutrient-rich package, but it can also help improve overall diets. Children who drink flavored milk get more calcium in their diet, without consuming any more fat or added sugar than their peers3. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, small amounts of sugars added to nutrient-dense foods, such as reduced-fat milk products, may increase a person’s intake of such foods by enhancing palatability, without providing excessive calories1.
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005.
2. National Dairy Council, unpublished data based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), 1999-2002.
3. Johnson, et al. The nutritional consequences of flavored milk consumption by school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2002; 102(6): 853-856.
Tools for Schools
Click here to download educational materials and resources for use in your school.
Support for Flavored Milk in Schools
Top 3 Reasons Flavored Milk Is Important in Child Butrition Programs
2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Institute of Medicine report: Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods
American Academy of Pediatrics: Pediatricians Address the Role of Dairy Foods in Children’s Diets
Nutrition Information, Frequently Asked Questions, Research and more
Visit the Nutrition Explorations site for more information on flavored milk.