Chocolate Milk
by Grace Homann
Have you ever gone up to a kid and asked them if they prefer chocolate or white milk?The answer will most likely be chocolate. “If you’re one of those people then you’re in for good news,” says nutritionist Melissa Dobbins. Because chocolate milk is really “nutrition in disguise.” Chocolate milk isn’t bad for you and it provides more choice for kids. So I think that chocolate milk should be served in schools.
One reason that chocolate milk should be kept in schools is that drinking chocolate milk helps kids get the nutrients they need. For example, Mrs. Dobbins says that “chocolate and other flavored milks have the same nine essential nutrients as white milk, and a small amount of added sugar compared to other beverages.” This means that chocolate milk is just as healthy as white milk with very little sugar, so why should people take chocolate milk out of schools? Also, research shows that children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs, and are usually healthier than non-milk drinkers. Finally, chocolate milk helps kids get the recommended three daily servings of dairy that they need. Chocolate milk helps kids be healthier, so adults shouldn’t take chocolate milk out of school if it’s going to make kids even more unhealthy. Especially when schools are trying to serve healthier food, it would be silly to go against what you're trying to do and take something healthy out of schools.
Another reason that chocolate milk should be served in schools is that it’s not as unhealthy as people think. For example, there has been many people arguing that chocolate milk is like soda. But really, a bottle of coke has 39 grams of carbohydrates. Chocolate milk only has 27 grams of carbohydrates. Also, cola has 9 teaspoons of added sugar. Chocolate milk only has 3. That's a third of the amount of added sugar in cola. You don't find soda in schools, but chocolate milk is way different than soda. For one, it's healthier, and also if chocolate milk is served in schools it will help kids buy chocolate milk instead of bringing in soda to drink for lunch.
My last reason that chocolate milk should be served in schools is that when chocolate milk isn't offered, kids don't drink as much milk as they need in their bodies. For example, kids drink more milk when it's flavored and almost any child will choose chocolate milk over white milk. Lots of children drink chocolate milk but not white milk. This means that children don't get the nutrients that they need from milk when chocolate milk is taken away from schools. Also, Deborah Bellholt says that none of her six children will drink plain white milk. "By allowing kids flavored milk, they still get the calcium they need, if not, they'd bypass it," she says. Lastly, studies show that after some schools quit serving chocolate milk the milk consumption drops 35%, according to the Milk Processors Education Program. Schools are taking part in a mission to help make kids healthier. To give children the amount of nutrients they need will help make kids healthier, but to do that schools need to keep serving chocolate milk.
To conclude, chocolate milk helps kids get the nutrients they need, chocolate milk isn't as unhealthy as most people think, and when chocolate milk isn't offered kids don't drink as much milk as they need to be healthy. Chocolate milk is not only offering a variety of choice that lots of kids want, but is also tasty and nutritious. Chocolate milk helps kids be healthy and happy. So, chocolate milk should be served in schools.
