This story was a pleasant surprise to me – parents in N.Y. have formed a coalition to bring flavored milk back into their children’s schools. Glad to hear people recognize that chocolate and strawberry milk are better choices than soda.
Public school students are drinking 10% less milk than a year ago, which members of the coalition, Advocates for School Milk Choice, blame on a city policy to reduce offerings of flavored milk starting last year. In what was called an effort to reduce obesity rates, the city has phased out whole milk and chocolate milk — the no-fat type — is now served only on Fridays.
The milk choice advocates, who are testifying in a City Council hearing today called by Council Member William de Blasio, warn that calcium deficiencies could lead to just as many problems as obesity. They are pushing the city to reinstate flavored skim milk every day.
“Milk is a backbone of nutrition, and to make a change that would inherently mean children would drink less milk … there needs to be a discussion with parents,” he said.