Mental Health

Taking Chocolate Out of Milk Halves Milk Intake in Schools

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Jan 14, 2015 06:51 PM EST

Taking chocolate out of milk can significantly reduce total milk intake in schools, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan measured milk consumption (plain milk and flavored milk) by children in a sample of Canadian elementary schools, and linked removing chocolate milk from schools to a 50 percent drop in total milk intake.

Researchers said the latest findings are important, as milk is extremely important for growth and development during childhood and adolescence.

While many schools have removed flavored milk because of the amount of added sugar, the latest study suggests that keeping chocolate milk on the menu might actually be healthier for kids.

After using nutrient modeling to determine what was lost when children stopped drinking milk, researchers found that the combinations of foods tested were not sufficient in replacing the number of missing nutrients.

The findings were published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

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