LAUSD Eliminate Flavored Milk From Schools

June 14, 2011 6:33 AM

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LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Los Angeles Unified School District voted to eliminate flavored milk from school lunch menus Tuesday

The school board chose to eliminate chocolate and strawberry milk options from its dairy contract. LAUSD cites obesity concerns and says that one in three students in the district is overweight.

“Milk, like many dairy products and natural fruit juices, has a certain amount of natural sugar, but flavored milks have additional sugar on top of it. And given the health situation nationwide and here in L.A., it is not necessary to provide students with all that additional sugar,” LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John Deasy said.

Nutritional facts show that one cup of fat free chocolate milk has 120 calories and 20 grams of sugar. Strawberry milk has 130 calories and 26 grams of sugar, the same as a cup of Coke.

LAUSD will now only serve unflavored milk, which has 120 calories and 14 grams of sugar, in the 650,000 meals it serves daily.

“Its about youth health . . . we want students to make healthy choices. We want to provide healthy alternatives,” Dr. Deasy said.

LAUSD is the first district in the nation to eliminate flavored milk in schools.

LAUSD Eliminate Flavored Milk From Schools

DC603

Yes, it’s the flavored milk at school that is causing children these days to be overweight.

I’m inclined to believe it’s all the other junk they eat outside of school. And the lack of exercise outside of school.

I ate PB&fluff every day for three school years with coffee milk and was never overweight. I was forced to actually go outside and be active. Mom cooked healthy meals.

Please, can we focus on schools actually educating? Because that seems to be a bigger issue.

a teacher

Amen to that! As public school teacher, it is an everyday struggle to be allowed to actually teach. We are given less and less planning time, more paperwork and students, and weighed down by catering to special needs students. It is frustrating.

As for controlling what kids eat. Good luck. I have parents who send kids sodas for breakfast and lunch. The kids eat out at least every other day and most get no regular physical activity. It’s time to look beyond the school to solve non-academic problems.

Tim

It’s not your business to feed kids…Stop and just teach …You teachers are out of control communist socialists…Stay out of people’s lives and just teach the school stuff. My skinny son does not need you fat teachers telling him what he can eat and drink……Yes….90% of teachers are obese…I work for LA unified and I see it….The over weight PE teachers let the kids walk around the track for exercise…..I work at 100′s of schools in LAUSD…..You should worry about the teachers…..
Tim

Use your name coward……how much do you weigh?

a concerned parent

It is ALL the junk they are eating and drinking, including flavored milk, and not enough daily physical activity that leads to obesity in children. Educating them on this issue can open the doors to educating them on the other not so good choices they are making in their food selections. What they are putting in their bodies daily has an affect on their ability to function in class. So sad the “teacher” who replied below does not realize this is part and parcel to a good education.

A BIG THANKS to Jamie Oliver’s show FOOD REVOLUTION for helping bring to light this important issue. I hope more and more parents will pay attention to what are treats and what is an everyday food. The children will pay the price in the end.

LadyA

THANK YOU JAMIE OLIVER! DC603, part of educating is health education. A lot of kids don’t get healthy food at home because parents are too busy to cook for themselves. I applaud LAUSD for finally realizing how unhealthy all the extra sugar is, especially since it’s probably HFCS. Please let Jamie in (if you haven’t already) so that he can improve your school lunches further!
Katie

schools should be teaching about healthy diets and practicing what they teach
nancyS

Why don’t they just go to something like Hood’s Calorie Countdown chocolate milk it has only 3g of sugar plain skim milk has 12g and 80 calories per cup skim milk 90. I love the stuff! Probably too costly is my guess. They also do not specify what kind of milk skim, 1%,2% or whole.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/07/la-schools-bid-farewell-to-flavored-milk/ LA Schools Bid Farewell to Flavored Milk

[...] about youth health … we want students to make healthy choices," Deasy said, according to CBS Los Angeles. "We want to provide healthy alternatives." [...]
http://foodsafetynews.default.wp.marler.lexblog.com/2011/07/01/la_schools_bid_farewell_to_flavored_milk/ LA Schools Bid Farewell to Flavored Milk – Food Safety News

[...] youth health … we want students to make healthy choices,” Deasy said, according to CBS Los Angeles. “We want to provide healthy alternatives.” © Food Safety [...]