Chocolate Milk--Trick or Treat?

Chocolate milk is stated to be the official drink of Halloween but low-fat chocolate milk is a nutritious treat any day of the year.  Low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and strikes a balance between good nutrition and good fun. It's a fact--Milk provides nutrients essential for good health, and kids drink more when it's flavored.

Many parents have concern about the sugar content of flavored milk but on average, flavored milk contributes only 3% of total added sugars and only 2% of total calories to the diets of children ages 2 to 18 years.  In the last five years, the dairy industry has responded to these concerns by reducing the added sugar of flavored milk.  According to information from the National Dairy Council (http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/), research has shown that kids that drink flavored milk:

• drink more milk overall and have better quality diets
• meet more of their nutrient needs
• do not consume more added sugar,fat or calories
• are not heavier than non-milk drinkers

You can find more information about flavored milk at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. 

                   I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween  and enjoy dairy treats all year long!