Flavored milk can play a healthy role in your family’s diet. Chocolate milk has the same 13 essential nutrients as white milk, but if your child won’t drink enough milk – they can’t get those nutrients!

School Nutrition Standards – Milk Update

The USDA has announced that they continue to allow flavored and unflavored milk (no changes in standard) with new limits on added sugar.

Schools can continue to offer flavored and unflavored milk, which provide essential nutrients that children need, such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium. There will be a new limit on added sugars in flavored milk served at breakfast and lunch by Fall 2025.

Read Full USDA School Nutrition Standards Update About Milk

Is Flavored Milk Good for Kids?

Milk is the number one source of 3 of the 4 nutrients most kids are lacking: vitamin D, calcium, and potassium. These are key nutrients for children’s development and growth and flavored milk is a delicious and affordable way to get them.

Young boy holding a carton of chocolate milk and smiling

Flavored Milk in Schools

Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids drink more when it’s flavored. Milk’s nutrition only helps students grow if they drink it.

Download Flavored Milk Brochure

Flavored Milk in Schools is Not What’s at the Store

Milk processors have worked for decades to make school flavored milk better for kids. Sugar content in school flavored milk is significantly lower than that found in grocery store chocolate milk and still tastes great! In fact, school flavored milk contributes only 4% of added sugar to children’s diets while carbonated soda and fruit drinks contribute 45% without the nutritional benefit.

Flavored Milk and Children’s Health

Research has shown that flavored milk can play an important role in overall healthy dietary patterns of children. Children who drink flavored milk are no more likely than their peers to be overweight and do not consume more sugar or fat overall, but do get important additional nutrients.

Enjoy chocolate milk as a family – or let your student enjoy it at school. Check out more of our school programs.