Does milk still belong on school lunch menus?
Schools are finding it tough to ban chocolate milk. (AP Images)
Does milk still have a place on school menus? The question is provoking debate locally and nationally. And at issue is not just chocolate milk, but plain milk as well.
This week, a Decatur schools committee recommended banning chocolate milk in k-3 and phasing it out for grades 4 and up. The school board did not act on the recommendation but plans to consider further.
In coming months, Decatur school officials will weigh the cost of substituting healthier options; but will children eat them?
Clare Schexnyder, who was among the parents empaneled by the superintendent, said it’s a public health issue. Medical experts have been sounding the alarm about obesity and diabetes.
“There is just no reason to be giving them sugar to start the day,” Schexnyder said.
Some, including Diego Wren, think the proposals go too far. The 7th grader at Decatur’s Renfroe Middle School had just downed a carton of TruMoo chocolate milk in the cafeteria Thursday.
“The other milk is kind of tasteless,” he said. As for the other proposals, such as baking Tater Tots instead of drowning them in sizzling oil, well, his face bunched up in disbelief: “That would be nasty.”
Some grownups, especially those who make their living thinking of ways to get sufficient nutrition into students, fear there are taste lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Nudged along by federal mandates, though, they increasingly think fried foods are on the wrong side of the line.
U.S. Department of Agriculture school meal standards — that took effect in July — set strict calorie limits. Schools must serve more fruits and vegetables and must offer legumes weekly. They must cut all added trans fats and serve only 1 percent, or nonfat, milk. They also must serve “whole grain rich” breads and pastas.
Schools in Fairfax County, Va., banned chocolate milk in 2010 but reversed that decision a year later because of an outcry from parents, students, nutritionists and the dairy folks.
According to a 2011 Washington Post story on the issue:
Most accused the districts of acting rashly, robbing students of a tasty drink and the vitamins and minerals that fuel bone and muscle growth. “We got 10 to 20 e-mails a day,” said Penny McConnell, director of food and nutrition services for Fairfax. “It was a lot of pressure.”
This month — and partly because of that pressure — Fairfax officials announced that they would reintroduce chocolate milk in school cafeterias. The newer, low-fat version includes sucrose, which is made from sugar cane or beets, instead of high-fructose corn syrup, which some critics say is more heavily processed and, as a result, less healthy.
Such reformulations have satisfied some of chocolate milk’s critics. But most scientists and nutritionists, including those employed by local school districts, say that changing sweeteners makes little dietary difference if the total calorie content stays the same.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a physician group based out of D.C., petitioned the federal government in July to remove milk as a required food from the school lunch program. The nonprofit group called milk an “ineffective placebo” and cited research that milk does not improve bone health and does not prevent bone fractures and injury in children and adults.
According to a statement:
“The promotion of milk ingestion in children is, in effect, the promotion of an ineffective placebo,” the petition states. It adds that other products, including calcium-enriched soymilk and rice milk, contain calcium but, unlike dairy milk, are low in sodium and free of animal protein that can cause calcium to be excreted from the body
The petition, filed July 19, asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue a report to Congress recommending an amendment to the National School Lunch Act. The amendment would exclude dairy milk as a required component of school lunches. Milk, the petition argues, does not improve bone health or reduce the risk of osteoporosis and can actually create other health risks, especially later in life.
“Milk doesn’t make children grow taller and stronger, but it can make them heavier,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “We are asking Congress and the USDA to put children’s interests above the interests of the dairy industry. Focusing on milk as the single most important source of calcium in children’s diets distracts schools and parents from foods that can actually build bones, like beans and leafy greens.”
Among the other 10 recommendations by Decatur’s Ultimate Menu Committee: Eliminate processed baked products, such as muffins, pancakes, waffles and french toast, and replace with healthier versions. Ditto for chips, chicken nuggets, shrimp poppers and Tater Tots. The committee also advised replacing processed cheese with real cheese and ending high sugar desserts.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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101 comments Add your comment
teacher&mom
September 8th, 2012
11:49 am
What a silly thing to worry about. Milk isn’t the culprit of childhood obesity.
The serving size offered by the school lunch program is small. The only choices are 2% white or chocolate milk.
Perhaps the lack of physical exercise, breakfast and lunches filled with processed carbs (sugar, white flour, potatoes,etc.), fried foods, and snack machines around every corner plays a bigger role.
The other 10 recommendations at the end of the article make sense.
Dawgdad (The Original)
September 8th, 2012
11:51 am
You gotta be kidding me, what is going to be their choices now, kale juice or fresh warm tap water. Kids have been drinking milk since Aristotle, but we are so “evolved” that only now, have we discovered how harmful it is. I used to drink a half gallon a day as a teenager and have the same waist size as I did in high school. Gimme a break, kids need lots of exercise (sports,play, and chores) and plenty of traditional type food, with a desert thrown in for a treat.
No wonder America is in decline, with silly proposals like this.
dougmo2
September 8th, 2012
11:51 am
And what would the kids drink at lunch?
ByteMe
September 8th, 2012
11:59 am
Ah, for those bygone days when we fed kids pancakes for dinner to stretch the family budget….
My kids’ teachers use candy as an incentive in class. And this is one of the better schools in the state.
It’s not a half-pint of chocolate milk a day that’s making your kid overweight.
Tony
September 8th, 2012
12:14 pm
There is plenty of evidence for the need to include milk as part of a child’s daily diet. There should be no debate about that. There is also evidence that reducing sugar consumption is good for children’s health. Surely there is a balanced and sensible decision point out there.
The real crime in all this is in the rules of the USDA school nutrition program. Milk must be served. This guarantees the dairy industry a stable, reliable income that is subsidized by the taxpayers. It prevents schools from substituting other forms of dairy products in school lunches. Yogurts and cheeses are served, but are never substituted for milk.
As long as we focus on trivial arguments like this one (white milk vs. chocolate milk), we miss the big picture arguments about who is actually controlling the food choices in our school lunch programs.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
September 8th, 2012
12:16 pm
Let’s keep fat-free milk(I love it.) but remove high-fructose drinks, items with high-glycemic indices and foods with low nutrient loads.
mountain man
September 8th, 2012
12:19 pm
Why don’t we just limit kids to eating Nutriloaf and drinking water? Even prisoners get better than that!
taco taco
September 8th, 2012
12:34 pm
I remember eating school lunch one day. I looked at both chocolate milk and regular milk nutrition contents on the paper container and boy the chocolate milk has alot of sugar.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR
September 8th, 2012
12:45 pm
unbelievable……as an earlier poster said, it is inactivity, not the food, that is resulting in fat kids. Kids need milk for healthy bones and teeth……
LD
September 8th, 2012
12:50 pm
@ByteMe – that happened at my children’s school, too. The teacher wanted to limit ice cream because of the “sugar,” but then that same teacher used Jolly Ranchers for the math lesson. Needless to say, the ice cream was not limited.
and ALL milk has high amounts of sugars – think back to your chemistry, “lactose” is a sugar. One cup of regular, whole milk has 13g of sugars. Just because the label lists “sugars,” doesn’t mean it is all added sugars.
If schools are so concerned about children’s health, maybe a no/low homework policy so the kids have time to PLAY OUTSIDE would be more productive than removing a small carton of milk!
mountain man
September 8th, 2012
12:58 pm
Another social experiment that takes attention away from the primary reason for schools: EDUCATION.
mountain man
September 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
If they were so concerned about childhood obesity, they would not have removed the playgrounds and eliminated recess!
Gwinnett Parent
September 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
I grew up without chocolate milk as an option in k-8 and survived. Some of the kids that were really determined to have chocolate milk brought Nesquick to school. None of my friends from back in the day ever complain about being deprived. If a parent must have a high sugary drink for their kid, they should just pack their kid’s lunch and not expect the school to provide it.
mountain man
September 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
Goodness, it is amazing that we all survived drinking milk when we were young. I am surprized the human race has not gone extinct! Milk is bad for you, apple pie is bad for you, baseball is bad for you, next we will hear that patriotism is bad for you.
Here is a novel idea – let parents choose what their kids eat.
It's Decatur What Do you Expect?
September 8th, 2012
2:10 pm
NFM
Ed Johnson
September 8th, 2012
2:28 pm
So I go have lunch with my grandson at his elementary school. He picks up a chocolate milk, Mayfield, and so do I. Read the label. A main ingredient? High Fructose Corn Syrup. Sugar, not listed. Put the chocolate milk back and picked up an orange juice. A main ingredient? High Fructose Corn Syrup. Sugar, not listed. Put the orange juice back. Settled for water. Had discussion with grandson.
E-mailed the principal to ask why serve kids High Fructose Corn Syrup laced with milk. Principal said, ask the school’s nutritionist. School’s nutritionist said, ask the school board. Called Mayfield to ask why lace High Fructose Corn Syrup with milk. Waiting for a reply.
Drank my great share of chocolate milk back in the day. Back then, chocolate milk was chocolate milk, often home delivered. Today, it’s High Fructose Corn Syrup laced with chocolate milk.
So, kudos to Decatur schools committee for recommending banning the stuff in K-3 and phasing it out in the rest of grades.
Lately, there seems a move afoot to get people thinking bad thoughts about sugar so they’ll pay no mind to High Fructose Corn Syrup. Bad mouthing more-expensive-to-produce sugar to allow cheaply made High Fructose Corn Syrup to go unscathed helps to keep corporate profit margins high, as foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup take on shelf lives not unlike that of Twinkies.
Commentary and research…
“Equivalent or Not, High Fructose Corn Syrup Isn’t Sugar”
http://news.yahoo.com/equivalent-not-high-fructose-corn-syrup-isnt-sugar-223000839.html
“A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain”
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
Does milk still belong on school lunch menus? | Renascence School International News Blog
September 8th, 2012
3:02 pm
[...] locally and nationally. And at issue is not just chocolate milk, but plain milk as well.”(more) Comments (0) Return to main news [...]
Bill & Ed's Excellent Adventure
September 8th, 2012
3:03 pm
I can see where parents would support a soft drink ban, but chocolate milk??? One would think Decatur Schools has greater issues of concern…we’re all nannies these days I guess.
claytondawg
September 8th, 2012
3:28 pm
mountain man said it best at 1:14: “…let the parents decide…” Gee, that is a novel concept–except for one thing. The government is involved in our schools. Milk, chocolate milk, juice. I drank all three as a child, and I’m still living, and I’m not fat. There are more important issues in our schools today. Let’s deal with those.
Margaret Hanson-Thomlinson
September 8th, 2012
3:37 pm
All of the people talking about how milk is so good, etc. name another animal that drinks milk. It is for young mammals that cannot digest other types of food.
Human beings were not meant to drink cow milk or milk in general past infancy.
Take this little fact into consideration:
“In the rest of the world (i.e., East and Southeast Asia, the Americas and Australia) milk and dairy products were historically not a large part of the diet, either because they remained populated by hunter-gatherers who did not keep animals or the local agricultural economies did not include domesticated dairy species. Milk consumption became common in these regions comparatively recently, as a consequence of European colonialism and political domination over much of the world in the last 500 years.”
bu2
September 8th, 2012
3:37 pm
@EdJohnson
Here’s the problem. First you get a commentary from a “health advocate” and “dedicated mom.” In other words, someone who has no business acting like they are any type of expert on the subject. Then you give a nutrition study done by a psychologist, instead of a real scientist. Naturally, he did some tweeks that make it difficult to compare the results, like differing the concentration of beet/cane sugar vs. sugar from corn. Actually, it sounds like, according to his study, you would do better drinking full calorie soft drinks instead of a low calorie one.
We’ve got school boards making decisions based on “mommy bloggers” whose knowledge is based on internet message boards, instead of actual science.
And we’ve got this paranoia about obesity when 70% of the kids in many urban districts are on free lunch, meaning getting ENOUGH calories is an issue, in addition to getting enough nutrition.
Janet
September 8th, 2012
3:52 pm
Although it’s not my top school priority, I would support a ban on chocolate milk. I agree with Mr. Johnson that it’s nothing more then high fructose corn syrup laced with milk. Chocolate milk is nothing but junk food. You may as well be giving them a candy bar every day for lunch.
We do buy chocolate milk at home, maybe once per month for a sweet treat. I view it the same way as ice cream. I don’t serve it with meals, but will allow them to have a glass AFTER DINNER for dessert. There is no reason schools should be serving junk every single day to kids.
Another thing to think about… Although endocrinologist can’t say for sure, most believe that the growth hormones in milk is what’s causing early puberty in many kids. We only drink Organic at home (outside of that once per month chocolate milk treat).
catlady
September 8th, 2012
4:02 pm
The first grade teacher and I banned chocolate milk for our classes because they drank the milk and ate next to nothing. This was 30 years ago. Catch up, folks! We don’t need to be feeding the kids hormones. Fruit juice or water would be so much better!
catlady
September 8th, 2012
4:07 pm
Also, our children should not be made to support the dairy lobby. Trillions of dollars of subsidy! Just say NO to milk, after the child is weaned.
Anyone read the Time magazine article this week on how ALL of us get welfare? AGain, it is what I have been saying for years.
Kira Willis
September 8th, 2012
4:45 pm
Whatsay we discuss the fact that some classes don’t have enough books? That class sizes are rising every year? That the Federal Government is handicapping us at every turn? That the state is now wanting to/going to implement a new graduation track that they want in place…wait for it…NEXT YEAR!
concerned citizen
September 8th, 2012
4:49 pm
Sorry but the claim that drinking cow’s milk will cause human’s to excrete calcium is incredibly over stated. Excessive protein in the diet can lead to kidney problems that can cause calcium to be excreted. The amount of protein found in a carton of milk will not set any child ( except one with already established kidney disease) down the path to calcium deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency might be a bigger issue if milk is off the lunch menu as in many places kids no longer get to have recess outside and rarely get the adequate sun exposure for natural vit d formulation.
Of all the things to micro manage in school with the off the chart test regimes, limited physical activity and focus on test drill and kill, milk being on the menu is pretty minor issue. How about having a full school year fully funded by the state budget and having trained pe teachers and other teachers and nurses in schools to help with the physical and mental well being of children.
The relative sugar content of a carton of milk, the relative protein content of a carton of milk is ridiculous in light of the 20 % poverty rate for children in this country.
Big Mama
September 8th, 2012
4:50 pm
Perhaps the school systems should require the dairy manufacturers to reduce the sugar content, eliminate the high-fructose corn syrup, and use milk only from cows that have not been treated with growth hormones. If all schools demanded this, the dairy industry would comply. But it might cost more, to do……
bootney farnsworth
September 8th, 2012
5:02 pm
the system is collapsing and we’re worried about milk?
how ’bout this: let them drink Vodka
Pride and Joy
September 8th, 2012
5:04 pm
I agree we shoyuld limite chocolate milk. My children never drank chocolate milk at home until they got it at school and then they wanted it at home. My kids drink skim milk. That’s what we should serve at school — skim milk — lots of it.
mountain man
September 8th, 2012
5:30 pm
I have said it before:
Hear about the new government study? The government spent millions of dollars doing a statistical study and found out this statistic: 100% of all people who live…die. Now the FDA is looking into banning living as hazardous to your health!
Pride and Joy
September 8th, 2012
6:07 pm
Byteme makes a good point “My kids’ teachers use candy as an incentive in class. And this is one of the better schools in the state.”
My kids attended a so-called candy-free school and the teachers told us NOT to bring candy on Valentine’s day but guess what?
The teacher gave every kid in the class a HUGE fat pastry stuffed with sugar and more sugar filling.
Abotu 800 calories worth.
I guess this teacher, who also cannot speak nor write common, standard, English, doesn’t not understand that the creamy filling in a huge pastyry and all the carbs and sugar in the pastry far outweigh (pun intended) a 25 calorie sucker taped to a valentine.
I agree 2% milk is too fat. I don’t use it at home and chocolate in milk at school should not be served but …skim cow’s milk is OK and so is rice milk and soy milk. All of those are good options.
Pride and Joy
September 8th, 2012
6:10 pm
catlady, you are so wrong about “Fruit juice or water would be so much better!”
Water — you’re absolutely right.
Fruit juice — you’re absolutely wrong, particularly apple juice. It’s all sugar. You might as well give a kid a Coke.
old fashioned
September 8th, 2012
6:44 pm
Get the government out of it. I attended a RESA meeting recently where USDA and State Dept of Ed gurus spelled out lunch regulations. Idiots. Fat free this, whole grain that. This much green. That much red. Portion size this. Free choice this. No choice that. I never heard so much foolishness in one meeting.
All it does is increase cost. The kids don’t eat it and its thrown out. The kids are hungry after school so they drink a big gulp, a biggie fry and 2 fat burgers and chase it with another big gulp.
Government is really solving problems aren’t they. Give the kids low fat chocolate milk and shut up.
Decatur Parent
September 8th, 2012
7:01 pm
I’m really not concerned about chocolate milk on my daughter’s school menu. It’s low in fat and high calcium. I am glad that CSD is taking a closer look at frozen fried foods in the lunchroom. I’d like to see more fresh local ingredients, though I do understand the logistical challenges that such a menu shift will present. Appreciate the collaborative efforts of CSD’S school nutrition program and our system’s support of the Farm to School initiative.
pgj
September 8th, 2012
7:12 pm
Did I read correctly the teacher helped ban chocolate milk! Your paid to teach not decide what food the should eat or drink.
Bernie
September 8th, 2012
7:23 pm
Sounds pretty much like Charter Schools…marginal at Best! does very little to work for ALL.
Sam
September 8th, 2012
9:07 pm
Don’t let these misinformed yuppies keep your kids from one of the few healthful activities they indulge in these days: drinking milk.
Uh
September 8th, 2012
9:08 pm
The doctors’ group quoted is a PETA group; they may not be most interested in nutrition. I’m kind of surprised you published it without commentary about that point.
Lynn
September 8th, 2012
9:26 pm
I for one am tired of everyone blaming school lunches for all our children’s problems, your children are over weight becasue we have allowed P.E. to be elimanated from school, your children are over weight becasue instead of outside playing they have all the electronic games to entertain them, your children are over weight because we allow unhealth snacks instead of fresh vegetables and fruit, if you are not happy with school meals pack you child their lunch. School Nutrition has so may regulations to follow (reduce salt, reduce trans fats, serve more fruit an raw vegetables, bake no frying, increase fiber to name a few)to include trying to inforce the mandated wellness policy only to have schools ignore it and sell ice cream, no calorie sodas, candies, doughnuts, cookie doughs etc to make extra money so they can “do things” for students because their budgets are cut every year and as said in other comments you want to debate a 8 ounce carton of milk when graduation rates are going down, parents have pumped antibiotics in their child to get them back in the classroom for years, communities leaders and legislators cut education funding before their travel expenses…just remember this the next time you give your child ice cream.
Archie
September 8th, 2012
9:42 pm
Catlady is right! The Dairy Industry has a lot of lobbyists and the school nutrition program has been a big “cash cow” (no pun intended) for them since its inception in about 1950. ( I think “Hummon” was the governor that got it going in Georgia, or at least that’s what he said!) Not likely that the dairy people will take an attempt to reduce or eliminate dairy products in the schools without a big fight!
My goodness...
September 8th, 2012
9:52 pm
There ya go, focus on this “issue” while thousands of kids go through the system functionally illiterate. Priorities!
No fan of cow juice
September 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
Who ever decided humans needed this much milk to start with? The dairy lobby perhaps?
Humans are the only mammals after 6mo that keeps drinking milk- why?
Dr Denmark always said there was no reason to keep giving it to babies after 6mo(sorry crazy breast feeding obsessed people)
Tons of allergies and other medical issues can be linked to milk
Goat chin
September 8th, 2012
10:51 pm
It is the Federal government pushing new guidelines, which is the Obama administration. For good or bad like it or not it is up to the school to try and comply, in this case the parents demands. I don’t like it, choc milk tastes good and kids don’t have to buy it, but all the fried stuff needs to be reduced.
Lynn
September 8th, 2012
11:04 pm
The focus on healthy foods this year has bordered on the absurd. As Cafeterias struggle to adhere to all of the healthy new regulations, much of the food is winding up in the trash. While I agree that healthy is better it at least needs to be appetizing. Kids are coming home hungry every day because the new lunch guidelines have resulted in tasteless, cardboard like food. For example, the PB&J sandwich has become the PB sandwich. Cafeteria said the new guidelines would not allow jelly to be served due to the high sugar content.
Reinstate recess. This will help more than anything.
Robin
September 8th, 2012
11:33 pm
PCRM are pseudoscientists with an agenda that doesn’t need to be imposed on our kids.
angelyn
September 8th, 2012
11:39 pm
The question surrounding the benefit of cow’s milk in the human diet is not a new question. As a Dr. Denmark baby I was not raised on a glass of milk with meals. My children do not drink milk and they are the picture of health. People ask where do you get your calcium?? They same way cows do- green leafy veggies. Why are we the only animal that drinks another animals milk? What other animalin a natural setting continues to drink milk after it has been wean? See documentary Fork Over Knife and Engine 2 Diet for a new take on this age old question about milk. Consider who is telling us that milk is good for us and what evidenced based research is compelling us to believe milk is good for the human body.
Sad for DeKalb
September 8th, 2012
11:45 pm
Before we start on the chocolate milk bandwagon, perhaps we should begin with eliminating ice cream and jumbo lunches from schools first. Why would a young child need an adult sized serving of chicken nuggets or twice the amount of beefaroni? At my school, the students eat their ice cream first so it won’t melt then leave the veggies and fruit on the plate because they are full. I’d be all for leaving ice cream and jumbo lunches off the menu choices!!! If a child needs more calories, let their parents police and manage that at home!
Boom
September 9th, 2012
12:11 am
Ms. Levin is a vegan, so of course she does not support dairy in the school system. Dairy products contain highly absorbable calcium, while dark leafy greens and dried beans have varying amounts of bioavailable calcium. In addition, milk provides vitamin D. I suggest milk choice not milk elimination.
another comment
September 9th, 2012
1:54 am
When I was a child growing up we were had to drink a glass of whole milk min, with every dinner. We did not know the difference. My mother used whole cream in her coffee, eventually moving to half and half. Today at age 86, she uses full fat milk in her milk, but finally drinks 2% milk. When we go to visit her, we have to purchase our own milk as my youngest daughter is lactose intolerant and can only drink lactose free milk, we buy it only in Fat Free form.
If you want hormone free milk and meats you must not purchase your milk and meats at Walmart. We only purchase our meats, incl, chicken and fish, along with milk at Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s and Whole Market. My children are both in the 15-25% in weight.
By the way I splurge and have low fat chocolate milk when I go out for breakfast. After being forced to drink Milk for 17 years, I have no taste for it at all unless it has some flavoring. So isn’t it better to have some with some flavoring?
John
September 9th, 2012
6:01 am
Cow’s milk has one purpose–to double a calf’s weight in 50 days, after which it starts eating grass.
In centuries past consuming milk and products made from milk was much better than starving to death in mid-winter, but no humans should be consuming it these days.
Reign
September 9th, 2012
8:09 am
go to http://www.notmilk.com and to learn about the horror affects of milk in our bodies…
John
September 9th, 2012
8:15 am
The serving portions in school lunches are too small to contribute in any way to child obesity. Children today are hungry at school because the schools are being forced to serve them bland food that they don’t want. If those Decatur parents don’t want their children to drink chocolate milk, eat certain breads and consume fried foods, they should tell their children not to eat them. Leave the rest of us alone.
Tech Prof
September 9th, 2012
8:21 am
The typical American diet is terribly unhealthy. Banning chocolate milk at school is not going to solve our health problems, but it can’t hurt. Chocolate milk is no better than drinking soda pop. Would we allow Coke as a choice in the school lunches? The bigger issue in the school lunches is how much corporate lobbyists dictate what gets served in our schools to maximize certain industries profits. Like many things in education now, it’s not about the kids anymore. Wake up America!
Frugalady
September 9th, 2012
8:42 am
While we’re at it, take fruit juice off the menu too. Even 100% fruit juice is a lot of sugar (albeit, “natural” fruit sugars). Those little fruit cups are awful too. Whole fruit is best. When you get juice / choc milk / ice cream / whatever on a daily basis, it is no longer a special treat. You will lose your enjoyment of and appreciation for it.
Devildog
September 9th, 2012
8:55 am
Frugalady is right. Get rid of all the sugar sources in drink machines. But there will be a huge backlash from administration because of lost revenue. That’s the bottom line, money, not the health of school kids.
katz
September 9th, 2012
8:55 am
When I was in school we used to:
-have a 90 min bus ride each way
-have two 15 min outdoor breaks and a half hour recess where we played dodge ball, flag football, and messed around on the jungle gym
-eat government horse meat stew with metal utensils on a porcelain plate
-get our milk from a big metal box with a white rubber hose and drink it from a glass(made of glass)
-get a free lunch if we worked 30 minutes in the cafeteria kitchen instead of taking recess. I hosed off dishes with 140 degree water at age 9
The world has changed….
IMO the best thing that could be done with student lunches is to vary the menu to include food from a wide range of different cultures. If the kids don’t want to eat what is served, they can go without lunch. It’s a fact that hungry people will eat….
South Georgia
September 9th, 2012
9:03 am
Twenty years from now today’s kids will sue the government because they have become overweight…..mentally unfit….ugly…..depressed…..divorced…..all the fault of their poor education….and drinking chocolate milk at school!
Pride and Joy
September 9th, 2012
9:16 am
Ed Johnson, you are too funny. LOVED this line of yours “High Fructose Corn Syrup laced with chocolate milk.”
Still laughing…..
Thanks.
P and J
PCRM - questionable agenda...
September 9th, 2012
9:37 am
I’m always a bit hesistant to take anything PCRM says or their positions seriously…
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., which promotes a vegan diet, preventive medicine, alternatives to animal research, and encourages what it describes as “higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research.” Its primary activities include outreach and education about nutrition and compassionate choices to healthcare professionals and the public; ending the use of animals in medical school curricula; and advocating for legislative changes on the local and national levels.
English Teacher
September 9th, 2012
9:41 am
THIS is worthy of a blog post? Of time spent debating during school board meetings? Of a grandparent emailing not one, but several people, to get an answer about high fructose corn syrup in milk?? Geez louise. Our education system is broken and in drastic need to repair in so many ways, and people are up in arms over chocolate milk?
bootney farnsworth
September 9th, 2012
10:17 am
amazing….
we’re now worried about big dairy.
chocolate milk in school will do squat in the scheme of things compared to the crap parents feed kids at home, and the lack of exercise they get.
oldtimer
September 9th, 2012
10:21 am
Until icecream, gatoraide, and chick fil a are all out of the schools chocolate milk is not the problem. What kids do and have at home is the bbigger issue. And looking at most luch food these days sometimes the only thing kids will eat is the chocolate milk…better than nothing.
Mustang100
September 9th, 2012
10:38 am
” … the breakfasts and lunches served at school are the main meals for some students.” That scenario tells me those would be free at that, so one has to wonder where the monthly EBT card balance is going?
ScienceTeacher671
September 9th, 2012
10:55 am
We grew up with nothing but plain, whole milk to drink for lunch in the cafeteria, and did fine. As a child, I’d have preferred chocolate milk to plain, but it wasn’t an option.
The new “healthier” meals are a joke, though. The ever-popular choice of pizza with fries is still on the menu at lunchtime. A recent breakfast offering was whole-wheat pancakes with syrup, “coco-puffs” type cereal (first ingredient = sugar), a piece of fruit and a half-pint of milk.
When the students with diabetes eat in the cafeteria, they spend the rest of the day with the nurse – too many carbs on the menu!
drew (former teacher)
September 9th, 2012
11:00 am
Geez….milk? Milk is a “story”? How about we let parents parent, and let schools educate.
I say close the kitchens down and let the students bring their own food. And for the “less fortunate” who have been so unlucky as to be born to parents who either can’t or won’t provide food for their offspring, give them a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water.
And let schools focus on teaching.
Always Skeptical
September 9th, 2012
11:15 am
Chocolate milk has a ton of sugar. My kids don’t get it…EVER. Their preferred drink is regular, white 2% or whole milk. If they get juice, I add 50% filtered tap water. If they won’t drink milk that isn’t loaded down with sugar, let them drink water. That’s it. I make the menu decisions at home, not my children. I’ll bet that the same folks who are screaming for chocolate milk have issues with weight themselves.
Nikole
September 9th, 2012
11:16 am
Pack your kid’s lunch.
Iffy N. Squiffy
September 9th, 2012
11:31 am
“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a physician group based out of D.C., petitioned the federal government in July to remove milk as a required food from the school lunch program.”
Oops, Maureen.
“I consider PCRM to be a fanatical animal rights group with a clear cut agenda of promoting a vegan lifestyle and eliminating all animal experimentation” — Joe Schwarcz PhD, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.
Also, from reporter Aaron Gould Shenin’s 12/3/10 AJC article:
“Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, has been a paid lobbyist for (The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) a national special interest group and has advocated for the organization’s positions in Georgia….”
Bernie
September 9th, 2012
12:30 pm
Years ago in the Catholic schools in Atlanta, Chocolate Milk was reserved for only on Friday’s. My favorite DAY!…..
Carlester
September 9th, 2012
1:27 pm
I commend parents who’ve decided to step up and hold academic institutions accountable for serving healthier food choices… especially after reading Former FDA Commissioner, David Kessler’s book “The End of Overeating” which will make us all think differently about food and take back control of our eating habits.
Bernie
September 9th, 2012
1:46 pm
If One would look closely at The Governor’ s Charter School Plan you will find not only Milk is off the Menu . But All of the children of Georgia’s quality of education is as well.
All but for a small very selective few, All whom will remain anonymous until the campaign donation list is reviewed.
MsCrabtree
September 9th, 2012
3:18 pm
B.Y.O.L. will solve the problem. Then parents can be accountable for what their child eats. That shouldn’t be the government’s or the school’s decision.
crankee-yankee
September 9th, 2012
3:25 pm
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, now who would be funding this group?
Could it be the “enriched drink” producers?
Lets dig deeper.
Their website preaches some left-wing fringe subjects & has links to companies that produce “alternative” foodstuffs.
The same type items they they refer to in their statement.
I’m sorry, but I have grown overly suspicious of any little-known group promoting something tied to commerce.
Marketing types have gotten very savvy in how they promote products and this one smells.
Ann
September 9th, 2012
4:37 pm
My son’s favorite drink is water. He drinks fat free milk, when he drinks milk. He has had chocolate milk once at a dairy farm. If you don’t serve it to them when young, they won’t know what they are missing.
For those of you who keep saying, “I drank milk (or chocolate milk) as a child and I am fine”, how about telling us how many people in your family have had cancer? Many people over the age of 50 get cancer in their lifetime. Sugar feeds tumors. Many people who are thin or “normal weight” comment that it is fine to eat sugary things and that it hasn’t caused problems. They don’t understand the negative impact of sugar.
High fructose corn syrup was added to nearly every processed food because the government subsidized the corn industry. It was a cheap product and it’s use as an additive coincides directly with the obesity increase.
Ann
September 9th, 2012
4:38 pm
And, Wal-Mart’s store brand milk is now hormone-free.
Halftrack
September 9th, 2012
4:43 pm
This is your Tax dollars at work on school lunches, etc. Someone has an agenda. Poor students who get free food at school as well as those who get reduced meals, are after all getting a good meal for their health. The milk is not the problem. There are many other problems that cause obesity but the school milk is not one of them. Our government bureaucrats are.
Ann
September 9th, 2012
5:41 pm
Read the Omnivore’s Dilemma to see whose agenda is being served with the contracts between huge factory farms and the school system lunch programs.
Mitch
September 9th, 2012
6:41 pm
Sometimes I am amazed that the country survives.
English Teacher
September 9th, 2012
7:00 pm
@Mitch: I agree. I mean really…we’re talking about chocolate milk.
Wilbur
September 9th, 2012
7:01 pm
DCS parents fiddling while Rome burns around them…and their kids.
This is a silly sideshow, staged by a few to enforce their choices on the rest of us.
As for dealing with the real issues of DCS?
Crickets.
crankee-yankee
September 9th, 2012
7:40 pm
PCRM – questionable agenda…
September 9th, 2012
9:37 am
Good that you are looking past the headline. PCRM is not what I would call a reliable source. Their website promotes many fringe theories. The only source they cite for numerous plaudits is the Huffington Post, what, no Wall St Journal, NY Times, LA Times, scientific or medical journals? That’s a red flag in my book.
So the question is…who’s money is behind PCRM? Could it be the commercial interests behind “enhanced beverages” such as soymilk & such?
I’m very leery of any “group” such as this, marketers have become very savvy when it comes to the internet and we are certainly aware (see drug company “studies”) there are doctors who will sell their souls to make few bucks.
P.T. Barnum said it best, “You can fool some of the people some of the time…”
Grob Hahn
September 9th, 2012
9:14 pm
Isn’t it Cuba where children have milk only till age 5? Is this where we are headed?
Grobbbbbbbbbbbb
MsArtTeacher
September 9th, 2012
9:45 pm
At my school students can purchase small half-pints of fruit juice from concentrate. I find that FAR more harmful than chocolate milk. Chocolate milk at least has nutritional value, the sugary fruit juice has none and it isn’t a significant amount of water to say that hydration is a benefit.
Having said that, the cafeteria management at my school has made great strides to offer more nutritious meals and cut out a lot of the added sweets (oversized cookies etc.). . .But, they are still challenged by the food choices (set by the district, based on budgets, I assume) they have when purchasing for the school. I see a lot more vegetables on the lunch line, but ALL of them are the result of canning or some other syrupy-based preservation method. I find all of that to be waaay worse than a little chocolate milk.
We have several vending machines in the school as well. And, before you balk, we are Title I and the monies from these machines help our budget. The new administration had all sugary/unhealthy snacks removed from the machines and replaced them with more nutritious granola bars and trail mixes. The sales were not harmed at all. And, all of our beverage vending machines sell plain and flavored water.
We’re trying y’all. . .But, we need to give our cafeteria management some healthy, fresh, options when making school purchases!
Mom
September 9th, 2012
9:52 pm
I can’t believe people have time to worry about this. The parents in Decatur are absolutely obnoxious. Pack your kids lunch if you are so worried!
Teacher Reader
September 9th, 2012
10:12 pm
Decatur City Schools are becoming overcrowded and this is what parents want to spend time on. Our children spend less time outside, this is why they are fat. They no longer walk to school, have a half hour recess or have time to play outside after school. The lack of movement and enjoyment of free time outside is why our children are fat.
Put recess back into our schools. Stop the hours of meaningless homework and allow children to play outside. Stop over scheduling our children with the activities after school and allow them to be kids and play. Play means learning on so many levels.
I had thought Decatur City Schools were better than worrying about milk making kids fat and not realizing that the kids need more exercise and time outside. Disappointed in Decatur.
Gator Nation
September 9th, 2012
10:35 pm
Its called RECESS. Bring it back. More PE, More Recess. Our kids will be healthier, better at socializing, and their classroom academic performance will probably either go up or maintain. Recess is also a great way to informally discipline students prior to making a formal referral. It gives the teacher a powerful tool to use and insight into how their students interact with thier peers. I can’t say it loud or often enough. Bring back recess.
Hillbilly D
September 9th, 2012
11:01 pm
This is a solution in search of a problem. The key to reducing the number of overweight kids is to get them off their butts and give them some chores. The added bonus would be that they’d be too tired to be hyper-active.
You can serve these kids anything that fits somebody’s agenda but they’re not going to eat it, if they don’t want to.
bootney farnsworth
September 10th, 2012
12:50 am
this is downright milk bigotry.
nobody’s talking about banning the caucasian milk, but the brother milk…
somebody get a Ouija board and contact Hosea. something’s gotta be done
bootney farnsworth
September 10th, 2012
12:50 am
no milk, no peace, dammit
Mountain Man
September 10th, 2012
7:32 am
“High fructose corn syrup was added to nearly every processed food because the government subsidized the corn industry. It was a cheap product and it’s use as an additive coincides directly with the obesity increase.”
Actually, I think that obesity rates are tied directly to the invention of the video game.
Mountain Man
September 10th, 2012
7:34 am
“The key to reducing the number of overweight kids is to get them off their butts and give them some chores. The added bonus would be that they’d be too tired to be hyper-active.”
So the number of ADHD diagnoses would go down? Less SPED spending?
Mountain Man
September 10th, 2012
7:38 am
“Many people over the age of 50 get cancer in their lifetime.”
That has always been the case, since the caveman times. Of course when most people die at age 35, you don’t see these cancers. Nature does not care about people after they are past their childbearing age; good health then has no benefit to the species.
Learn the Truth
September 10th, 2012
7:55 am
PCRM is an unofficial offshoot of PETA and has received substantial funding from the group. Dr. Neal Barnard who founded the group is a psychiatrist not a nutritionist.
Considering their ties to the terrorist group ALF (Animal Liberation Front), I’m surprised that they are not under investigation instead of being treated as a legitimate organization worthy of being quoted in this discussion. They are propaganda pushers, pure and simple.
Bobby
September 10th, 2012
8:19 am
Having milk as an option is good. Requiring it is a problem, and nothing more than a kickback to the dairy industry. One of my kids is lactose intolerant, and it seems every year I have to get doctor’s notes confirming that in order for him not to get milk and have juice (or even water) instead.
“Big Dairy” doesn’t want milk to only be an option though, as most kids prefer juice (or even water) to milk (and sometimes chocolate milk). I personally never cared for milk, one way or the other.
But to remove it as an option is ridiculus.
Milk (white or chocolate) isn’t the reason for childhood obesity, nor is the food served. The reason is all the playstations, xboxs, gameboys, wii’s, ect… that have replaced outdoor activities.
Parent Teacher
September 10th, 2012
9:28 am
How about eliminating the school luch program all together. Let parents pack lunches and eliminate the discussion all together. Personal responsibility for the parents. Use that money to fund classroom instruction. While we are at it get rid of the busses and use that money for classroom instruction as well. We could also eliminate standardized testing that does nothing for improving student achievement.
Schools need to ask a simple question, Does it improve student learning? If the answer is not a definitive yes then stop doing it and focus on student’s education.
Once Again
September 10th, 2012
9:47 am
Milk is served in government school cafeterias as part of the greater government dairy subsidy to the industry. It is the same reason why so much other crap including cheese, too much wheat, etc. are on the plates of kids. They are a capitve audience, just like prisoners (well, they are prisoners when you really look at it) and this is a great way to buy votes from the various processed food industries while making it look like you care about “the children.” Good for the PCRM. Let’s hope more and more school districts take their advice and help improve the health of the kids.
Ashley
September 10th, 2012
10:21 am
A sack lunch should be looking pretty good to parents, a carton of milk causing all this drama is ridiculous. Instead of over-hauling lunch food, why not incorporate physical activities back into schools. besides kids are not getting obese from drinking chocolate milk and tater tots at school. Poor nutritional habits started long before the first school bell rang. I like a Vortex cheeseburger and tater tots every now and then, but I assure you it’s not something I indulge in everyday. A school lunchroom is no place for kids to broaden their palate, let that be the parents job. Never met a person who said they were obese because of school lunches.(lol)
bu2
September 10th, 2012
10:29 am
Maybe we need more modern history in schools to go with the chocolate milk. There was a time not that long ago when there were 2 or 3 channels on the black and white TV, no computers (except room sized ones), no video games and limited or no air conditioning. The kids had to go outside and play. They would suffer in the hot house.
This HFCS paranoia also demonstrates a lack of critical thinking skills. I can show you that for the 1st 25 years of the Super Bowl, if an original NFL team won, the stock market would do better than if an original AFL team won. That doesn’t mean it caused the stock market to go up. Obesity is because kids just aren’t as active. School lunches are VASTLY healthier than they used to be. We shouldn’t go to the extreme of forcing some health freaks or animal activists choices on everyone else.
Personally, we don’t allow our child to have chocolate milk at school because the combination of caffeine (chocolate has caffeine) and sugar makes him hyper (since we’re not there, he probably does sneak it a few times). But for kids who won’t drink milk otherwise, it seems like a good option. Peta would have us drink only water and eat lettuce and bread sticks.
Ray
September 10th, 2012
10:26 pm
Rather than worry about milk, how about looking at the lunches themselves. APS regularly serves nachos as an entree. Nachos.
OTOH
September 10th, 2012
11:56 pm
“Human beings were not meant to drink cow milk or milk in general past infancy.” Meant by God or Intelligent Design? Evolution has no intention. That other mammals do not utilize a particular food source does not say anything about the nutritional value of said food source.
Skim milk is just sugar water. Ose is ose is ose. and kids need both fat and protein.
There is a huge vitamin D deficit in kids today mostly due to the skin cancer absolutism, but the anti- milk crowd isn’t helping any. Don’t be surprised when MS rates soar.
N. GA Teacher
September 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
I see no problem with skim milk. It has vitamin D and some protein, and no fat. Chocolate milk is full of corn syrup and needs to go. However a greater problem is schools’ addiction to inertia and contracts with food companies. Like the schools cultures TV chef Jamie Oliver tried to change recently, school chiefs resist change when they need to embrace it, even if the cost is slightly higher. Schools need to get rid of processed food and cook things from scratch- Oliver showed that this is NOT THAT TOUGH. Fresh foods are more nutritious, better tasting, and healthier. Get rid of the white bread, the breakfast atrocities like sausage biscuits, the daily pizza, and keep only nonfat, low sugar salad dressing. Kids can drink WATER- it’s basically free at the fountain at school!!. Get rid of chips, cookies, and sugary jello. For breakfast provide whole grain cereals and breads, and fruit. Get rid of all tasteless freeze-dried crap. If the lunch ladies cannot handle the work, develop a career-tech pathway for food service workers like other high schools have. The kids get credit for working in the cafeteria and also obtain valuable work experience that gives them a leg up on a food service job after graduation. Last, get rid of the stupid “whole meal” laws that require cafeteria ladies to constantly demand that kids get “one meat, one vegetable, one fruit, etc.” Having all healthy foods means also being able to charge a la carte if that’s what kids want- this cuts food wast way down and helps control cost. Last, restore recess to elementary schools, and restore 4 years of hard-core gym class to high schools like in the 60s and 70s.