It's funny - I LOVE milk (I refused soda or juices as a child and drank skim milk with EVERYTHING) and love chocolate, but absolutely hated chocolate milk. Not sure why, but I definitely don't raise my hand to it!
- 12/26/2012   7:53:33 PM

Chocolate milk every day? No. Chocolate milk as an occasional treat? Yes. In school when I was a kid and for my kids, chocolate milk isn't allowed except on the every-other-week "pizza day". White milk is the norm, but a treat in moderation needs to be OK too. - 12/26/2012   5:09:27 PM

Honestly, I've been reading so much lately on how human beings should be staying away from milk... There are numerous other foods with calcium naturally in them- think about the cows themselves! Wild cattle eat a completely veggie diet of wild grasses, leaves and flowers, and they have very strong bones. Also, we are the only species on this planet which a) drinks mild after being weaned, and b) drinks the milk of ANOTHER species! Stop the milk drinking I say! - 8/15/2012   12:58:15 PM

I am not a big fan of milk either, and cannot tolerate soy milk, so I have started drinking almond milk. It has a different flavor, and my son really likes it! - 8/15/2012   8:09:22 AM

i don't like milk either. so I drink alternatives and eat yogurt. - 8/15/2012   7:48:42 AM

I think if children are drinking chocolate milk, it's better than getting hooked on candy, cookies and donuts. I think it satisfies the sugar cravings an most children develope an unhealthy attachment to it, like I have for anything bread. - 8/14/2012   10:08:40 AM

Hi, I was never a chocolate milk drinker but now have started to drink it as a recovery drink after a workout based on info on the gotchocolatemilk.com web site. Supposedly the protein/carbs ratio is perfect for protein absortion. to help in the recovery process after a workout. - 8/14/2012   9:01:52 AM

That really is a tough one...too many kids won't drink milk unless it's flavored...do you suppose someone could create something with less sugar AND a good taste for these kids?? - 8/14/2012   8:04:45 AM

There seems to be a general assumption that we need to find some way to drink milk ourselves or ensure our children drink milk - not necessary - all the nutrients contained in milk can be found from other sources. Many with lactose intolerance or for other health, ethical or animal welfare reasons don't drink milk and are perfectly healthy. If kids don't want to drink milk, I would say, find alternatives to obtain the nutrients you are counting on milk to deliver. If the kids like milk, then reason and moderation is the key. - 2/15/2012   12:57:06 PM

My nephew refused to drink white milk, but would drink chocolate milk. He needs the milk and the calcium, so I would much rather he access to chocolate milk than to drink no milk at all. And as some others have said, the REAL problem with school lunches isn't the white/chocolate milk option. It's the rest of the meals like the greasy pizza and tater tots that really needs to be looked at. - 2/14/2012   12:23:22 PM

A little chocolate milk isn't a "biggie" to me. A person could drive themselves nuts and their children if they obsess over every little choice.

When my children were little I watched every morsel they ate for the first two years and then my hubby introduced them to chocolate..I wasn't very happy at first but looking back now they are healthy young adults and they don't have eating disorders nor do they obsess over food. - 12/9/2011   4:12:29 PM

Unflavored milk has 12 grams of sugar per cup, which makes up a significant portion of the sugar in the chocolate milk. A chocolate bar on the other hand, has about 53 grams of sugar and none of the calcium of milk.

It's great that your child loves white milk, but many do not. For those who don't, it is very difficult to get the calcium they need, which is every bit as important a nutritional consideration as a slight increase in sugar. - 10/12/2011   11:10:22 PM

Moderation is key and it's the parents job to teach it!
- 10/12/2011   7:32:47 PM

I hated milk from day one. My mother told me I didn't even like my formula as a baby. When I started school, just like at home, I was forced to drink milk everyday. I still hated it. But I managed to choke it down. When I got old enough that they didn't make you take milk with your school lunch, I quit drinking it. I get a little bit of milk in cooking, and have some with my oatmeal every morning, But since I get kidney stones, I don't think I'm going to worry too much about not getting enough calcium (excess calcium can cause kidney stones). I remember on Fridays, when we would have chocolate milk at school, it was so much better than the plain white stuff. So if giving kids a little chocolate in their milk helps get them to drink it--I don't think it hurts anything. My kids all liked milk, and my grandkids almost always drink milk. I don't hesitate to buy chocolate milk for them when I know they're coming out to my house, and add some chocolate syrup to the white milk if we don't have any chocolate milk on hand. I know they need the calcium and nutrients that are in milk, so I'm glad they like it either way. - 5/10/2011   10:49:10 AM

If chocolate milk is such a poor nutritional choice, then why isn't a Chocolate Soy Milk provided? Because I believe it is a healthier choice, I don't hesitate giving it to my daughter. - 4/12/2011   4:02:19 PM

I refused to consume milk as a child. I would carry my little white cup from the dollar tree with my name in sharpie. As far back as kindergarden I can remember drinking water instead of the alternative. My son on the other hand, would drink a gallon of milk a day if allowed. I think it is the parents responsibility to instill decision making skills in their children. However, I believe if that decision was left up to a child they would be led by temptation rather than the value of a healthy decision :) I think it should not be available to children. - 2/16/2011   2:49:48 AM

Is milk really in actuality healthy ? Humans are the ONLY species on earth that drink the "milk" of another animal. Dairy cows are raised in deplorable conditions, they are fed hormones and antibiotics that most parents would never dream of allowing their children to ingest. Milk just seems unnatural to me. - 2/15/2011   11:06:30 PM

I have always strongly disliked white milk. As a child I had to finish my glass of milk before I could leave the dinner table. The dishes would be cleared and washed, and there I would sit at the dinner table -- my glass of white milk and me. I would stare at it, and it would stare back. It made me gag and to this day I still do not like it. Finally, that torture was abandoned. I did however enjoy chocolate milk and drank it readily.
It took me years to learn to enjoy other dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, and yogurt. I also am trying to take calcium supplements more regularly.
I believe that not drinking milk regularly as a child was not good for my bones. When children cannot tolerate white milk but will drink chocolate milk, that's a good thing in my opinion. Low-fat, low-sugar choc milk obviously makes more sense. If the milk is organic, all the better. - 2/15/2011   4:30:29 PM

If given the choice of milk or chocolate milk i always chose chocolate milk... ALWAYS. That said, to this day i can't stand sugary cereals because we weren't allowed to eat them at home and so I never developed a taste for them. And i'm certain that's a good thing. The reality is, if it's white milk or water, it's win win. Obesity in children is an epidemic and I'm glad steps are being taken in the school system, however small. I'm with you, I'm NOT raising my hand for chocolate milk. - 2/14/2011   3:28:07 PM

How about SUGAR FREE chocolate milk? I agree with the writer that 27 grams of sugar is a lot- especially with how hyper it can make kids. WHy can't the schools get milk with splenda or equal? Sugar can't be THAT much cheaper! - 2/14/2011   2:11:13 PM

when I was a kid, they only offered choc milk once a week, I think. No more than that. But as a kid, I would drink white milk, only at school, and probably never finished the litte carton of milk. As an adult I hate white milk, I don't even drink what is left after cereal. The only way I will drink milk is if it is choc. Really if they get rid of choc milk, then those kids that won't drink reg milk, won't be drinking milk at all, and choc milk is better than no milk. We all need calcium, and most don't get enough - 2/14/2011   12:33:47 PM

When I was in elementary school they didn't start selling chocolate milk till 6th grade. I did not like milk. There weren't as much sugary foods back when I was a kid. I guess they were starting to add sugar to things in the 60s, but it wasn't like it is now. My Mom would put a little Hershey powder chocolate milk mix in a baggie for me to pour into my milk so I would have something to drink with my lunch. Then I remember around 3rd or 4th grade they started selling packets in the grocery store that could be taken to school and easily added to the white milk. By 6th grade they were selling chocolate milk.

I still drink chocolate milk. I have 1-2 glasses a day with nonfat or 1% milk. I buy the lower sugar type. I guess my experience leads me to want to raise my hand for chocolate milk in schools for kids who don't like milk. LIke others have mentioned, they really need to focus more on having better balanced meals with less sodium and fat, & more fruits and veggies.
- 2/14/2011   11:53:26 AM

Nestle' makes a "no sugar added" chocolate mix to make chocolate milk....I don't remember the nutrition facts for it, but it is pretty yummy....I only get it when I am CRAVING chocolate milk :) - 10/8/2010   10:20:14 PM

I think chocolate milk in schools, and in general, is fine. As others have said, it's all about moderation. Having one chocolate milk carton once in awhile at school or while dining out for lunch is not a big deal in the grand scheme of life. Perhaps the concern should be focused more on the fat, calories, perservatives and sodium of the food served in schools as well as with the breakfasts and dinners parents make for their kids. And based on your dining out experience, depending on the ingredients used, you might want to be more concerned with how much sodium was in the grilled cheese sandwich your daughter ate vs. the sugar in the "unhealthy" chocolate milk. - 10/8/2010   8:38:40 AM

chocolate milk is fine. plain milk has sugars (brittbritt gives the nutrition facts). variety and balance are what we all need. and i think that chocolate milk is a fine option to have along with milk, 100% juice and water. - 10/7/2010   2:13:28 PM

I think that chocolate milk in schools is fine. There certainly are more nutrients in chocolate milk than soda or even most fruit juices.
Like another commenter, I have always mixed my chocolate milk with 1/2 skim milk and love it! After I play a couple of hours of tennis or workout at the gym if I am at the grocery store I will purchase a chocolate milk since I am not home to make a healthy post workout snack and I feel completely fine and healthy about it. There is a lot of sugar in the milk but I could be putting a lot worse in my body than a small carton of chocolate milk. Everything in moderation... - 10/6/2010   4:29:20 PM

The only way i can drink milk is if it is chocolate. Even then, if i drink much of it I get an upset stomach. The chocolate milk should be available to enable the children that need chocolate to be able to drink milk. It is a proven fact that chocolate interacts with an enzyme in milk that allows some people to drink milk that normally can't. - 10/5/2010   5:18:20 PM

I appreciate that sparkpeople offers us different bloggers for different perspectives but sometimes I get confused. I thought sparkpeople recommended chocolate milk as an excellent post workout snack? Wouldn't the protein and nutrients that are good for us also be good for children? - 10/5/2010   11:59:34 AM

When I was a kid, we got white milk at school with the occasional chocolate milk as a treat - I loved it! I drank it when I was pregnant and my stomach felt queasy from "morning" (or rather "all-day") sickness. It was one of the few things I could keep down that gave me the calories I needed. Now my taste has changed and I find commercial chocolate milk too sweet, but I still have the occasional cup of skim milk with reduced sugar chocolate powder after workouts. Moderation is the key!

When I read about kids pouring chocolate milk on froot loops or cocoa puffs I wonder what's the real culprit here - the milk or the cereal. And by the way, eating sugar does NOT cause diabetes - that's a myth! Being overweight is a risk factor for Type II diabetes, but it doesn't matter if the weight problem comes from eating too much sugar, too much fat, or a sedentary lifestyle. - 10/5/2010   8:23:17 AM

I have to agree, what the child is not getting will not be missed in terms of sugary sweets. My son is a healthy 7yo who grew up eating more fruits and veggies then anything. Today he loves broccoli, multi grian bread, and can not stomach the sweetness of cakes and candy. Many consider him odd, and I find it funny to find out what they actually consider normal, since sweets and highly processed foods are not something ingrained into our systems for 100's of years.

My son has a friend that is the oposite. He has eaten nothing but junk food his entire life and at teh age of 7 he weighs well over 100 lbs. He screams if a vegitable touches his plate and will chug a 2liter of soda if allowed. I have started taking care of him and it has been a struggle to get him to drink water, and eat better but slowly it is working!!
Kids go by what they see and what examples they are given. Even though I struggle with my weight I have set a course determined to show my son how to be healthy, and i"m dragging his friend along with me. I always feel like I won a small victory when they ask for ice cold water and an apple after school instead of cookies, candy, and coke.

I say take out the chocolate milk and replace it with bottles of water, if available you would be suprised how many kids will take the water..and how many kids do not drink enough of it! - 10/5/2010   3:18:53 AM

Chocolate milk should not be fed to children in schools, because the school lunch program should be modeling healthy behavior. Also, for children that need it, that have to rely on the school lunch program, healthy food is essential for their growth, their academic advancement, and to help prevent illnesses by strengthening their immune system. - 10/4/2010   11:05:48 PM

I don't have a problem with chocolate milk in schools or elsewhere! What I always did in school was split it with a friend who got white skim milk. When you do 1/2 and 1/2, it way less thick and sugary. To this day, if I buy chocolate milk, I do either 1/2 and 1/2 or only a quarter of the chocolate.

Everything in moderation. If you don't like white milk and maybe you need more carbs, go for it! But I grew up drinking it and never had a weight problem. My generation played outside and walked everywhere. Times have changed. - 10/4/2010   5:10:16 PM

I don't think the schools should limit chocolate milk, but they should add the option for soy milk. Many children are lactose intolerant, and not having a non-dairy, healthy drink available makes it hard. - 10/4/2010   1:41:14 PM

I'm not a fan of the taste of milk and I have never liked chocolate milk, not even as a kid so having the choice didn't matter to me. I do remember it was an ocassional treat in grade school. I'd like to see schools go back to it as a "special treat" and not an everyday item. I think it's hard to justify the benefit of the calcium vs the sugar content. - 10/4/2010   11:26:13 AM

My 5 year old son WILL NOT drink white milk. He had soy milk as a baby and would not drink white milk when he grew out of needing the soy milk. He hates it. I mean despises it so much it makes him gag. If they didnt offer him the chocolate milk what would he drink? Pop? Fruit juices? I will stick with the chocolate milk thank you.
I disagree with what they feed these children in schools and are selling the junk food right infront of them all the time. They can serve healthy meals and not this crap. - 9/3/2010   12:04:44 PM

When I was in school - grade school, at least - there were NO vending machines in the school. None! And you got a choice of beverage at lunch - white milk or water out of the fountain. THAT'S IT! No chocolate. No strawberry. No soda. No juice. White milk or water. And we drank the white milk because that's what we got.

Kids are eating far too much crap in school. I know I did when I was in school because what they fed then is almost exactly what they feed today. Processed, pre-cooked, chemical-filled, cheap CRAP. And then we wonder why diagnosis of ADHD and similar "disorders" is skyrocketing along with behavioral problems in schools - how could you NOT act like you have ADHD with that amount of sugar and chemicals being pumped into your system?

I'm all for Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" to get fresh, healthy food brought into the national school system. Until that happens, the least we can do is ditch the chocolate bar in a carton and just give them the same choice I had. White milk or water. - 4/26/2010   11:16:12 AM

I'm a dairy farmer's wife. It is true that white milk is a better choice. Although, flavored milk is better than Mountain Dew or Coke. Each school I know has a soda machine right next to the snack machine filled with Doritos and chips. Milk consumtion has gone up and soda consumtion has gone drastically down since schools began offering flavored milk. It may not be the healthiest choice, but it is so much better than the option...sugar/caffine.
If people truly want to raise their children liking white milk, they have to begin when their kids are young. Offer only white milk at home and then child will begin to enjoy it. People give their children juice at home, soda when they go out to eat and for snacks, then wonder why their child refuses to drink white milk. It's bland! I have 4 children and all like white milk, because it was the only option besides water at meal times here at home. When they get to choose flavored milk, soda or juice, they know it is a snack, not the norm.
Don't blame the milk producers for pushing milk. Farmers are making 1986 prices in a 2010 economy. But, I bet Coca Cola is making quite a bit more.... Is it the milk company or is it the parents? And don't even get me started on Energy drinks for kids. Ugh - 4/9/2010   7:08:09 AM

I come from the era when milk at school was in a glass bottle. I hated white milk when I was young. I would drink chocolate milk. I had never heard of yogurt until I was an adult. Chocolate milk cost more than white milk when I went to school, but if I had the money, I would get it. To this day, I only use milk on cereal and in my coffee and I don't drink chocolate milk any longer, but water. I think more than what the schools have in their lunches, I am concerned that many schools have cut out recess and for some kids. That may be the only time some children have any physical activity. Some go home to plop down and play video games and do not go outside in the winter months. Any child that is physically active and not obese, might need the calcium and nutrients in the milk. What I see is a problem in the homes with sodas, pouched drinks, fast foods instead of a home-cooked meal and I have seen this regardless of the income. For some that were on the free breakfast program when my children were in school, Mom could always be seen with a can of soda and a cigarette, so school is only one aspect of what happens in a child's day. I too have seen so much food dumped into the trash that is put on a tray. I think you have to teach a child nutrition. When I was young, I never heard of all the food allergies that I have heard about now and I do agree that I think diet plays a major part in behavior, but so does physical activity.

This is from one whose lunch cost a quarter and on days when they were having something I really liked, I would save up and go through the line twice and get two lunches. I didn't have a weight problem until I tried to lose weight as an adult and then when I quit the diet, gained back the weight plus some more. - 4/8/2010   10:19:31 PM

I definitely disagree that chocolate milk is not healthy. If a child is getting a healthy balance of nutrients and wants some chocolate (non fat) milk, there's nothing wrong with it: kids need CHO to grow and for brain function. I know I drink a lot of chocolate milk, it's one of the best ways to refuel after a run and it's great for active children as well.
However, maybe they should be considering using reduced sugar chocolate milk: it tastes just as good and, truthfully it is healthier.

But if we're focusing on health and school lunch, don't you think there are much bigger fish to fry? - 3/25/2010   5:21:10 PM

I don't care for the taste of milk either. If I do have chocolate milk (which is rare), I treat it as a desert and always make it home to limit the sugar. I can make mine extra chocolately (at least according to my wife) and still have less sugar & calories (I use skim) than the store bought. I guess with anything, it's ok in moderation, but I'd rather do stuff like that myself, then trust someone else to do it. - 3/20/2010   12:39:17 PM

Don't forget when you are looking at the nutritional info of chocolate milk that 1 cup of milk can have anywhere between 12-16 grams of sugar itself, in the form of lactose. This is not the same as added sugar! Also, not all children are overweight. For a normal, active child, chocolate milk is an excellent source of protein and carbs for energy replacement, as well as calcium and vitamin D. I don't think a dinky 1 cup carton of chocolate milk is going to destroy a child's life. It's about moderation in all aspects of their diet. Keep the milk! - 3/20/2010   9:52:19 AM

i love chocolate mike - 3/12/2010   2:05:39 PM

Don't even get me started with the school lunch menu. In the school board my children attend I sware the people who are in charge of it have no clue about nutrition. It has been my pet peeve for about 6 yrs now! We never make choc. milk at home but sadly that is all my daughter ever drinks when she buys lunch at school and I can't believe they don't even serve water as an option! Years ago they took cookies away but yet they still offer ice cream and flavored milks. At least you can make a cookie healthy! - 3/8/2010   6:27:18 AM

My kid doesn't like white milk, not because as some people on here suggest I gave her tons of juice, but she was breastfed, and once she was old enough for a cup, she drank mostly water and sometimes soy milk. Now that she is 7, I'm having a hard time even pushing the soy milk on her (she just wants water), and I really want to make sure she gets enough calcium in her diet. Chocolate milk, while it has more sugar than I would like, still has calcium (and not enough chocolate to cancel that out, good grief), so I don't see it as even close the the evil of soda, and it certainly has more nutrients than most juices, not to mention it is a source of protein. I still try to include other sources of calcium in her diet, but I am completely fine with flavored milk as a way to get kids to have more calcium. There are organic milk options out there for those concerned about cows being raised with antibiotics. - 3/2/2010   12:08:07 PM

my twins are 4 yrs old they are not obese - since they are not identical they also have different body structure.
one is in the 95% ht and 10 % wt while the other is 75% both.
my daughter who is in the 10% for wt drinks chocolate skim milk. her sister drinks plain skim milk- together they drink about a gallon or more a day - I am not so concerned about them drinking this much milk because has any noticed how much sugar is in the juice box drinks. why would I want the schools to give them juice boxes- with 10 % real juice when they get just as much sugar from that. - 2/23/2010   7:33:03 AM

I'm curious to know how the sugar content of the same size / same fat content plain milk would compare. Something that lots of people seem to forget is that milk has quite a bit of natural sugars (lactose) already. So it's not that the 27 grams is all added sugar.

My son stopped in to get breakfast at school the other day (after eating a healthy breakfast at home!) and I was dismayed to see they didn't even offer plain milk. They had chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla - and yes, the vanilla was flavored and had added sugar. Gag! How stupid is that? - 2/17/2010   12:03:41 PM

i think that we should be happy that some kids out there even drink milk!! I don't think taking chocolate milk out of schools is going to solve anything. Its not soda afterall, its milk!!!! It should be the parents choice as to what their child drinks. My daughter does occasionally like chocolate milk as a treat and considering she is still getting the milk she needs i allow it. I agree that chocolate milk should not be the first thing changed in the cafeteria. THe food served is alot worse than serving a child chocolate milk. - 1/31/2010   8:59:12 PM

this is a tough one. the school I work in offers 1% white, low fat chocolate and several different milks like strawberry and cookies and cream. If it is a choice between having the students drink flavored milk with extra sugar and empty calories or no milk at all - I really am indecisive about the best option. I have seen students take the healthy options because they are required to and then throw them in the trash before even getting to the table. I'm amazed at how much milk and fresh fruit goes straight in the trash. - 1/17/2010   5:14:25 PM

I never drank chocolate milk in school. My school offered it, I think, but I was told at an early age that I was allergic to sugar, so the thought never even crossed my mind to have anything with sugar in it. I was a gullible child, but a healthy one too. I loved and love regular milk. I think banning it would only draw attention to it. Education is the way. Teach the children to make healthy choices. Now I drink chocolate milk as a treat after a good run (or other tough workout), since the athletic world touts it as the ultimate recovery drink, but most of the time, it is too sweet for me to stomach! - 1/7/2010   4:05:11 PM

My kids are teenagers now. I never limited them from drinking chocolate milk but I never made a big deal about it either. Now they like it occasionally and it's a treat for them when they get it. I wouldn't take it out of the schools because sometimes that puts more attention to it than needs be and they start to want it more because more people are talking about it (... especially if people are saying they shouldn't be drinking it... sometimes that makes you want it more)... - 12/8/2009   3:20:25 PM