Okay, here's another issue I just can't let go of. Everyone is writing about it, and everyone has their own opinions, so I just have to jump in. Chocolate milk... the issue of the day.
I have to start with this disclaimer: I am NOT an expert, but I am well read. I have done a lot of research, talked with a bunch of different people, and I've lived the healthy life for over a year now. I've had ups and downs, just as we all do, but for the most part we've stuck to our philosophy of living the healthy lifestyle.
Every since Jamie Oliver came onto the scene, chocolate milk has been in the news. This television pusher of health food has deemed chocolate milk to be the enemy, apparently the cause of many obese children. He points out that chocolate milk has as much sugar as soda and feels it is just as bad. I love Jamie Oliver, but I must respectfully disagree.
Chocolate milk, in my opinion, is the least of our worries. There is so much of a larger issue at hand. That issue, in my opinion, if the OVERALL health of our children. They don't exercise, they don't work to expand their minds, and they eat a bunch of processed foods that are terrible for their future bodies. Taking away chocolate milk is just a drop in the bucket.
Sure, chocolate milk has a lot of sugar. I'll give you that. Did you know the BENEFITS of chocolate milk, though? Did you know a serving can provide 20% or more of your daily recommended amount of protein? I looked at the nutrition labels on several bottles of Shamrock Farms milks. I was surprised myself to find out just how much protein milk has in it. I used to think milk was important because of the amount of calcium. I think differently now.
Jamie Oliver said himself that kids are throwing away their food and drinking the garbage milk. My response to that is: at least they are getting the benefit of the protein and fats in the milk. What do these things do? Oh.... they only assist with brain function. Both protein and fats are essential to learning for our children. If, as it has been proven, children aren't going to eat their lunches, wouldn't you rather they have SOMETHING to keep their bellies full and their minds fresh?
I'm not saying this is the ideal situation. Of course I would rather see our kids eating balanced, healthy meals. The truth of the matter is that school lunch is incredibly complicated. Serving hundreds of children in the span of a couple of hours is difficult. We need to be able to get the food cooked and on the plates of the students quickly. There are only a few foods that lend themselves to ease of preparation. Fresh foods, when used in bulk, are often much more difficult to assemble. It's just not reasonable to expect gourmet meals in an institutional setting.
That brings me to another point. I haven't yet seen evidence that school lunches can be made affordable using foods that are fresh, unprocessed, and perfectly nutritious. Many of the schools across the country have up to 80% of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunches. With funding already at a minimum, how do we expect school districts to increase the quality of their food? Are YOU willing to pay $3 a day or more for school lunch?
Kids simply aren't going to become fat because they drink chocolate milk with their school lunches. We really need to focus on the bigger picture. Get our kids moving more; incorporate some movement into lesson plans in the classroom. Encourage children to run and play during recess instead of standing around in huddles, talking about the latest video game. Involve the parents by doing at-home challenges for healthy eating.
Our school lunches haven't changed in thirty years, yet in that same time the obesity rate has tripled. Clearly, this is an issue to be dealt with at home. Until we can fund our classrooms and the rest of the schools adequately, we must do with what is available. That means the traditional lunches that cafeteria personnel can put together quickly and easily. As parents, WE must step up to be sure our children know we expect them to eat the fruits and vegetables provided during that meal. WE must serve healthy breakfast and dinner meals, so children are getting a well balanced diet overall. And WE must make sure our children get the appropriate amount of exercise and sleep. When all of this comes together, this nation will see a decrease in obesity, and our children will still be able to enjoy their chocolate milk.
This is the way I see it. How about you? Do you think Jamie Oliver is right on, or does he go a little too far?
Interesting post Karen! I respectfully agree and disagree.
ReplyDeleteI agree that WE as parents need to initiate the change (I know I need to do better!) but I don't have faith that will happen.
I'm not sure the meals can changed affordably, but I think it is worth every effort to try. I thought Jaime Oliver was somewhat successful in changing school meals when he attempted it the first time, somewhere in the south. I might be wrong about that.
Maybe just little steps. I was surprised to see that french fries qualify as a vegetable.
And, I would prefer my kids have just white milk at school or a healthier chocolate milk. You'd think they could come up with that.
I think our kiddos are just being conditioned to like the chocolate milk. Most younger children will drink the white milk.
That's just my opinion. We may have to agree to disagree. Pardon me, while I confiscate and toss my children's parade candy. Little steps for me too. :)
This is the part of blogging that I love. Sharing ideas and having discussions that make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of your points. It is worth an effort to try to change school lunches. Absolutely. But to go after one tiny aspect of that is kind of a kick in the pants. I just see the school districts who are getting rid of the flavored milk as doing this to calm people down, but I don't have faith they will take the next step. That's what it really comes down to. I think the chocolate milk issue was blown out of proportion in comparison to the much larger problem. Now that they've taken chocolate milk away, they will say they've done their part and not look for further solutions.
French fries qualifying as a vegetable is ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned. THAT is one of the changes that I think would make a much greater impact. If anything, I would like to see more vegetables added to these lunches and the guidelines updated. Potatoes are not a vegetable, they are a starch. I completely agree with you there!
I also agree that little steps need to be taken. Again, I just don't have faith that the steps will go any farther than this because of the large media impact. Maybe I just don't have faith in our school systems working hard for change unless they are pushed. (That's pretty sad coming from a teacher, and I apologize for my lack of confidence).
I do agree that chocolate milk could be made healthier. Less sugar could be added, for sure. I wouldn't doubt places like Shamrock Farms are already working on that. I've been doing research on companies that change their formulas, though. They have to do it slowly, or the consumers reject their products. Shamrock Farms does have a no sugar added chocolate milk, but they use asparatame as a sweetener. Ick! That is poison in my opinion, so I would personally rather see the kids drinking the sugar milk instead. I really do think we will see the sugar level coming down in chocolate milk over time, in order to meet the demands of the consumer.
I do also agree that kids are being conditioned to drink chocolate milk and they will drink regular milk. I'm actually not against offering only white milk. What my argument really comes down to is that chocolate milk is not the cause of obesity, though many people will come to that conclusion. So many will say that our lunches are healthier now and won't take further steps. We MUST go farther than simply pulling the chocolate milk.
In the end I think we agree more than it would appear. I just don't want people to think that this is the end of the fight against childhood obesity. Parents need to be made aware that they are ultimately responsible for their children's weight and health issues.
Thanks for joining this discussion. I LOVE being able to share my ideas with others and hope you will enjoy this "debate," too!