Sponsored: Chocolate milk and sugar

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Chocolate milk and sugar

What are your thoughts about kids having chocolate milk? Doesn’t it have too much sugar?

1. The sugar listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of milk is the total sugar which includes the naturally occurring sugar (lactose) in milk as well as added sugar.

2. The amount of added sugar in chocolate milk can vary depending on the brand of chocolate milk so you may see 8- 12 grams (and sometimes more) of added sugar. One (level) tsp of sugar = 4 gram of sugar = 15 calories. So if chocolate milk has 12 g added sugar that's 45 additional calories from sugar.

3. If you compare milk with sweetened soda ( in which all of the calories are from added sugar), a flavored milk is definitely a better choice.

Bottom Line:

While milk, including flavored milk, is a nutrient dense beverage that contains protein, potassium, calcium, and vitamin D; health experts have a concern about children developing a taste for sweetened beverages if this is all that is offered. For children over the age of 5, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations recommend plain milk (or soy beverage), water or limited amounts of 100% fruit juices.

Chocolate milk should be seen as a treat and not a staple beverage. If you are able to make your own chocolate milk at home with powder or syrup or by mixing plain milk with flavored milk you can control and reduce the amount of added sugar.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

Tags:

Canton's post-mill budget will be about results

The Town of Canton has been through some difficult...

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will ask the ...

On Saturday, March 30, hop on over to 566 South Ha...

SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM

Contribute >

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: What Can I Do With Tofu?

Tofu is the curd (like a cheese) of soybeans and comes in different textures from soft or silken to firm and extra-firm. Tofu is a good source of plant-based protein. Soft and silken have the consistency of a Greek yogurt, while firm and extra-firm tofu are more similar to a harder cheese or chicken breast.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Ingredient Intelligence

Did you know that ingredients are listed from most to least? What that means is that when you see the list of ingredients on a food package, the ingredients appear in the order in which the product has the most to which ingredients are in the smallest amount in the package.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Smart Snacks

When you’re busy it’s easy to grab something like a candy bar or soda to give you a quick hit of energy, but the reality is that those types of snacks are high in sugar which won’t keep you full, satisfied or fueled for long. Some better snack ideas:

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: The "Dirty Dozen" list

Question: Should I buy my fruits and vegetables based on the “Dirty Dozen” list?