Growing up, we always had milk at the table during meals. Soda was a special treat. At today’s tables though, it seems soda is replacing the traditional milk, with concerning results. In a recent survey of the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA), eighty-three percent of the 674 members cited calcium as the single nutrient most lacking in kids’ diets today. Almost 30% of boys and 10% of girls are consuming the recommended daily intake of calcium.

The general consensus among NYSDA members is that too much soda consumption has been partly responsible for the children’s calcium deficiency, with 96 percent citing soft drinks as the root cause of childhood obesity. Instead, they say, children should drink milk with their meals. This dietary change, away from milk products and towards fruit or soft drinks, is due to parents not drinking enough milk themselves, and so being poor role models, said the researchers.