lowfat, no corn syrup

Nevertheless, it can’t seem to please everyone. Its number one hater? Schools. They have been very particular in banning junk foods from school cafeterias, and chocolate milk has made its way into the list. Why? Because of its very high calorie and sugar content which causes obesity in many young children.

It has been proven that chocolate milk can help boost back endurance post-workouts. The protein found in milk is known to speed up the time recovery of muscles after strenuous activities. It used to be weird to drink chocolate milk after exercise but it’s a commonplace today.

Another thing that adds noise to its buzz is the recent scientific study about the unusual way a specific digestive enzyme reacts with cocoa. Studies have revealed that particular components of cocoa help the body repel fat.

But researcher Josh Lambert says that it’s too soon to jump into conclusions that it can be used in weight-loss programs.  ”It’s hard for me to tell if there’s enough of the (polyphenolic) compounds in a glass of chocolate milk to make it that much difference,” he said.

Despite all the goodness it offers, schools are still implementing this new legislation. “In my world, chocolate milk is soda in drag,” says Ann Cooper, director of Food Services at the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado. “Most of it (chocolate milk) has as much sugar as Pepsi or Coke, and it doesn’t belong at schools,” Cooper added.

This campaign in making kids eat healthier foods pretty much seems like nothing really huge. Just so you know, drinking chocolate milk in schools has been a tradition which dates way back to the early 1900s. Documents from the School Lunch Committee of the Home and School League in Philadelphia explain how milk or cocoa was part of students’ everyday routine.

“When we eliminated chocolate milk, we had as many parents upset as the ones who were pleased with it.” said the Fairfax County Schools, Penny McConnell. Parents are arguing that their children might not get enough calcium then.

McConnell then came up with the idea to request a change in the formula from her suppliers and get rid of the high fructose syrup. The skim chocolate milk now only contains 30 calories more than the regular 1 percent milk. No complaints have been heard so far.

A little piece of candy here and there may not be harmful, but an average Jack-O-Lantern bucket pretty much holds about 250 pieces of candy, which altogether approximately totals 9,000 calories and have about three pounds of sugar. Imagine that going into your system. Even for adults, it’s a heck of a lot!

“Adding chocolate to milk doesn’t take away its unique combination of vital nutrients necessary for optimal growth and development,” says Ashley Rosales, a registered dietitian with the Dairy Council of California. “Kids only get nutrients from foods they eat, and giving them chocolate milk is a fun and tasty way to ensure they receive calcium, vitamin D and potassium, which many children lack in their diets.”

The said campaign is just one of the many ways to keep proper nutrition in mind as childhood obesity is on the rise. A research in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association has shown that children who consume milk, even flavored milk like chocolate, get more nutrients and have a healthier diet overall, in comparison to those who don’t.

Go trick-or-treating with Got Milk? on Halloween for free chocolate milk, Got Milk? items and a whole lot of fun for the young and the young-at-heart:

- ANAHEIM
Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade
Oct. 29, 2011, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Downtown Anaheim Center Promenade
205 Center Street Promenade, Anaheim

- OCEANSIDE
11th Annual Dia de Los Muertos & Halloween Festival
Oct. 30, 2011, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mission San Luis Rey
4050 Mission Ave., Oceanside

- OAKLAND
2011 Fruitvale Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween Festival
Oct. 30, 2011, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fruitvale Village
Along 12th St. between 33rd and 37th Ave. in Oakland

He then teamed up with Henry Nestle, a manufacturer of condensed milk. They came up with the idea of adding condensed milk to chocolate liquor which is a nonalcoholic smooth, thick, and liquid form of chocolate. It is the ground or melted state of the nib of the cacao bean, the purest form of chocolate. Milk chocolate became famous and well-loved by consumers by the 1900’s, and still holds true today.

There is an array of milk chocolate forms. Hot cocoa is among the list, it is a cocoa powder mixed with milk and sugar and heated until hot and smooth. This infamous beverage never failed to make people warm and give a sense of comfort. Also included in the list are liquid milk products, powdered milk products, granule and of course, chocolate bars. One can the goodness of milk chocolate hot or cold, hard or soft, practically any way you want.

Chocolate has people under its spell that basically nobody can break, at least not anytime soon. It is so special to consumers that it has become 2011’s number 1 specialty food, as what has been stated in one of the previous blog posts. And milk chocolate is the most popular with the masses; it is preferred by approximately 80% of the consumers.

If you’re creating a chocolate basket as a gift without knowing the personal preferences of the one you’re planning on giving it to, you can never go wrong if it is filled with milk chocolate treats!

Wouldn’t your new creation be the wonder drink of the ages?

Nope… it already exists!  In fact, you have three to choose from.

Beverages such as tea, coffee, and low fat chocolate milk can make positive contributions to your nutrition and health.

There is plenty of research that supports tea as not only strengthening the body’s immune system, but also reducing plaque buildup on arterial walls, thus lowering the risk of cardiac disease.  Tea is rich in antioxidants, often containing more polyphenols than fruits and vegetables. 

Antioxidants help repair cell damage due to stress and aging. 

Coffee is similar to tea in that it, too, is loaded with polyphenols.  Research shows that coffee actually has higher amounts of antioxidants than green or black tea and some fruit and vegetables juices.  Consuming coffee can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.  New research is looking into the possible positive effects on dealing with neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

What about the chocolate?  Studies find that chocolate milk helps the body recover from exercise quickly.  It also increases bone density and muscle mass.  And it’s also been shown that chocolate milk can help contribute to weight loss! (Remember we’re talking about low fat chocolate milk.)

Now that you know more about the nutritional contributions of tea, coffee, and chocolate milk, I hope you enjoy them more.  They can all be part of your healthy lifestyle!

Adult Beverage Co. has an adults-only chocolate milk. 

I’m not sure I can blog about this without having a fit of the giggles (very un-adult like!).  For example, the site says, “But thanks to our amazing mixology know-how, there’s a nice buzz hidden inside that nostalgic taste.”

Since I cannot improve upon the presentation of this website, you better just go and check this out on your own:

www.adultchocolatemilk.com

I gotta get me some of this!  If it’s available in your area, try it and let me know what you think.

Probiotics are living microorganisms consumed to promote digestive health and boost immunity.

MojoMilk is classified as functional food and comes in individual stick packs which can be poured into a glass of milk.  It has less sugar than regular chocolate milk mixes and contains 10 times the active cultures found in probiotic yogurt.

The good bacteria in the cultures remain active both during the harsh manufacturing process and during digestion. 

Chocolate milk has been criticized lately for being a contributor to child obesity and diabetes because of the higher sugar content than white milk.  Many schools have banned chocolate milk this year.

This is how chocolate milk fights back!  Go chocolate milk!

Check out their website and register to get a free sample : http://www.mojomilk.com/.

Why is chocolate lethal for dogs?

Theobromine is a naturally occurring stimulant, similar to caffeine, found in chocolate.  It is the theobromine that is so dangerous.  It attacks a dog’s nervous system and heart.

The symptoms will vary for each dog depending on the amount of chocolate, the size of the dog, and the type of chocolate swallowed.

Within a few hours of ingesting chocolate, a dog might vomit or have diarrhea. Later, as more of the theobromine is absorbed, the heart rate increases, causing arrhythmia, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting.  If the dose is large enough, the dog may have seizures that lead to coma and perhaps death.

It isn’t easy to say how much chocolate is too much chocolate.  If a dog licks chocolate frosting off your finger, it’s not going to cause a serious problem, but if he eats the whole chocolate cake, that’s a different story. 

What if your dog eats a candy bar?  Chocolate bars have some of the highest levels of theobromine.  A Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate bar has 184 mg of theobromine.  Compared to a cup of chocolate milk with 35 mg of theobromine and you can see that the chocolate bar packs more of a punch!

Ignore those big, cute, doggy eyes begging for your chocolate treats.   Unless, of course, if those eyes belong to your husband, then you should probably share!

For more information go to www.petMD.com.

But chocolate milk is the center of controversy in many cities in the US.  The school districts of the District of Columbia; Berkeley, California; and Boulder, Colorado have already banned chocolate milk from the cafeteria.  Florida schools are considering it.

What’s the big deal? 

As you probably know, obesity among children is on the rise in the US and foods high in sugar get a lot of blame.  Of course, there are two sides to every story, and this is no exception. 

On the one hand chocolate milk is higher in sugar (almost twice as much) than white milk but on the other hand, many kids refuse to drink milk if it isn’t chocolate, and to grow up without the nutritional benefits of milk is unwise.

Milk, both chocolate and white, provides calcium, protein and vitamin D, all of which are lacking in our kids’ diets according recent studies.

Some parents say the added sugar in chocolate milk is worth the nutritional trade-off, while others say it is sending the wrong message about beverages high in sugar being part of a healthy diet.

What say you?  If you have an opinion, please comment below.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on chocolate milk in school.