Should a healthy lunch for kids include flavored milk

Controversy is brewing over whether kids should drink flavored milk.  More and more schools are discussing whether to ban it altogether.

Then of course, there is a lot of sugar in flavored milk and we know kids already get too much sugar.  Sugar fuels the sweet tooth so that kids will want more sugary drinks.  We also know that flavored milk is not the nutritionally the same as unflavored milk.

Flavored milk has more calories, sugar and sodium and may contain some artificial colors and flavors as well.   It might surprise you that there is about 3 teaspoons of sugar in one cup of flavored milk.  Would you let your child put 3 teaspoons of sugar into their milk?

However, you can hear parents and advocates argue that kids won't drink milk if it is not flavored.  You can also argue that the benefits of children getting enough calcium and vitamin D for strong bones and teeth outweigh the concerns over sugar.

Kids, will probably choose flavored milk over unflavored milk if you give them the choice.  But if they don't have the choice, research is showing the kids will drink milk.  They will actually enjoy its natural flavor.

The argument is one that reminds of the cereal companies that argued if they did not add sugar to the cereals, kids would not eat it.  Then thye would skip breakfast and that was worse then the sugar added to the cereal.  In the Journal Pediatrics, a study was published that showed the kids will eat unsweetened cereal and disproved that argument.

So if your children, don't drink flavored milk, don't get them started.  however, if they do, it might take a bit of patience to wean them off, but in the long run, it will be better for them.

Other resources:

Sugar In Kids’ Fruit Juices Articles Are Kids Drinking Too Many Calories?

F is for Fat looks at sugary drinks and obesity rates

New soda tax bill to help promote healthy kids