What Milk Adds to a School Meal
School is back in session! While the lunch line may look different this year, milk continues to be a fundamental and important component of school meals. Why milk?
Studies have proven that kids learn better when they are not hungry. But school meals aren’t just about filling tummies; they also play a significant role in the total nutrition your child receives each day. Making sure kids take and drink their milk is key to their long-term growth and development.
Each eight-ounce (oz) carton or glass of milk contains a nutrient package unlike any other beverage. Drinking a carton of milk at a school meal counts as one of the three servings of dairy children over the age of nine need each day. Two and a half servings of dairy a day is recommended for children two to eight years old.
Milk:
Fuels Bodies – Milk contains a powerhouse of essential nutrients. Each serving provides bone building components like high-quality protein, calcium and vitamin D, along with six other essential nutrients needed to keep our bodies healthy. Did you know it’s hydrating as well?
Students receive eight more grams of protein, as well as other nutrients critical for kids and teens, if they drink one 8-oz carton of milk with a school meal. By enjoying a carton of milk with school meals, students are increasing their nutrient needs more each day than without milk:
School Breakfast:
| % Daily Value With Milk | % Daily Value Without Milk | |
| Calcium* | 38% | 14% |
| Vitamin D* | 15% | 2% |
| Vitamin B12 | 54% | 21% |
| Potassium* | 19% | 10% |
School Lunch:
| % Daily Value With Milk | % Daily Value Without Milk | |
| Calcium* | 41% | 17% |
| Vitamin D* | 14% | 1% |
| Phosphorus | 42% | 23% |
*Calcium, vitamin D and potassium are three of the four nutrients of public health concern identified by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. Percent Daily Value is a guide to the nutrients contributed in one serving of food and based on average nutrient needs of ages 4 to adult.
Fuels Enjoyment – Not only is milk nutritious, but it’s a cold delicious treat! Schools offer both unflavored and flavored milk options for students to enjoy. Whether they choose while or chocolate milk, fat free or 1%, rest assured any milk option offered in school provides your student with the same nine essential nutrients needed for good health. Flavored milk, such as chocolate or strawberry milk, contributes a minor amount of added sugar to children’s diets. Since 2007, the added sugar content in chocolate milk served in schools nationwide has significantly decreased.
If your student is not a school meal participant, remember to still put “milk moo-ney” in their backpack or school meals account so they don’t miss out!
Fuels Success – With full bellies, kids start their day with energy which can help them focus and concentrate to perform their best in the classroom. Healthy eating helps students grow and learn, and starting every day with a well-balanced breakfast, including a carton of milk, gives your child a good start in the morning with the fuel they need to be ready to learn.
Bonus – the milk served at school and sold at your local grocery store, comes from farms in your community!
Are you a parent or guardian and interested in learning more about school meals? Visit here.
Still wondering “Why Milk?” Learn why.
