Flavored milk hasn t soured after all: This September, parents and kids will find that the chocolate- and strawberry-infused varieties will contain fewer calories and less sugar. The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) announced yesterday that flavored milk cartons will have less than 150 calories and 22 grams of sugar about a 38 percent decrease, which should come as welcome news, since some school districts have already banned, or are thinking of banning, flavored milk, claiming that the extra calories lead to childhood obesity.
But as ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava observes, This new measure pulls the rug from under the feet of those folks who are dead set against serving any kind of flavored milk in schools. In the U.S., milk is the number one food source for calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, so it is important to ensure that children get enough of these essential nutrients by drinking more milk, even if it is flavored, adds Dr. Kava. In fact, when children no longer have the option of flavored milk, the amount of milk they drink decreases by 35 percent.