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Milk and Dairy Foods’ Important Role in School Meal Programs

Key messaging & research summaries that highlight why dairy foods are critical to supporting the health of children & communities.

Learn why milk + dairy is important in school meals.

 

Milk and Dairy Foods Support Children’s Optimal Growth and Development 

 

Milk and Dairy Foods Improve Diet Quality

 

 

Milk and Dairy Foods Support Nutrition Security 

 

Flavored Milk in School Meals

 

REFERENCES
1. Dror DK, Allen LH. Dairy product intake in children and adolescents in developed countries: trends, nutritional contribution, and a review of association with health outcomes. Nutr Rev. 2014;72(2):68-81. doi: 10.1111/nure.12078.
2. Dehghan M, Mente A, Rangarajan S et al. Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2018;392(10161):2288-2297. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31812-9
3. Hess JM, Cifelli CJ, Fulgoni Iii VL. Energy and nutrient intake of americans according to meeting current dairy recommendations. Nutrients. 2020 Sep 30;12(10):3006. doi: 10.3390/nu12103006
4. Krebs-Smith SM, Guenther PM, Subar AF et al. Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. J Nutr. 2010;140(10):1832-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.124826.
5. Quann EE, Fulgoni VL, Auestad N. Consuming the daily recommended amounts of dairy products would reduce the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in the United States: diet modeling study based on NHANES 2007–2010. Nutr J. 2015;14(90). doi: 10.1186/s12937-015-0057-5.
6. Lott M, Callahan E, Welker Duffy E, Story M, Daniels S. Consensus statement: healthy beverage consumption in early childhood: recommendations from key national health and nutrition organizations. Healthy Eating Research website. https://healthyeatingresearch.org/research/consensus-statement-healthy-beverage-consumption-in-early-childhood-recommendations-from-key-national-health-and-nutrition-organizations/ . Published September 2019. Accessed March 5, 2021.
7. Patel AI et al. The association of flavored milk consumption with milk and energy intak, and obesity: a systematic review. Preventative Medicine, 2018; 111:151-162. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.02.031
8. Committee on Nutrition. Snacks, sweetened beverages, added sugars, and schools. Pediatrics. 2015;135(3):575-583. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-3902
9. Bradley BJ, Greene AC. Do health and education agencies in the United States share responsibility for academic achievement and health? A review of 25 years of evidence about the relationship of adolescents’ academic achievement and health behaviors. J Adolesc Health. 2013;52(5):523-532. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.01.008   
10. Au LE, Gurzo K, Gosliner W, Webb KL, Crawford BC, Ritchie LD. Eating school meals daily is associated with healthier dietary intakes: The Healthy Communities Study. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018;118(8):1474-1481.doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2018.01.010
11. Fox MK, Gearan E. School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. USDA website. https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-nutrition-and-meal-cost-study . Published April 23, 2019. Accessed March 5, 2021.
12. Ramsay SA, Bloch TD, Marriage B et al. Skipping breakfast is associated with lower diet quality in young US children. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72:548-56. DOI: 10.1038/s41430-018-0084-3
13. Junxiu L, Micha R, Li Y. Trends in food sources and diet quality among US children and adults, 2003-2018. JAMA. 2021;4(4):e215262. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.5262.
14. Dror DK, Allen LH. Dairy product intake in children and adolescents in developed countries: trends, nutritional contribution, and a review of association with health outcomes. Nutr Rev. 2014;72(2):68-81. doi: 10.1111/nure.12078.
15. Dehghan M, Mente A, Rangarajan S et al. Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2018;392(10161):2288-2297. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31812-9.  
16. National Dairy Council. NHANES 2015-2018. Data Source: Centers for Disease control andPrevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data. Hyattsville, MD.
17. Cifelli CJ, Houchins JA, Demmer E, Fulgoni V. The relationship between flavored milk consumption, diet quality, body weight, and BMI z-Score among children and adolescents of different ethnicities.  The FASEB Journal;2016;30. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1154.12. 
18. Patel AI et al. The association of flavored milk consumption with milk and energy intak, and obesity: a systematic review. Preventative Medicine, 2018; 111:151-162. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.02.031.
19. Nicklas TA, Saab R, Fulgoni III VL. Is flavored milk really a bad beverage choice? The nutritional benefits of flavored milk outweigh the added sugars content. Acta Scientific Nutritional Health Acta  Scientific Publications; 2022;6:114–32.
20. Committee on Nutrition. Snacks, sweetened beverages, added sugars, and schools. Pediatrics. 2015;135(3):575-583. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-3902.
21. Cohen JFW, Richardson S, Rimm EB. Impact of the Updated USDA School Meal Standards, Chef-Enhanced Meals, and the Removal of Flavored Milk on School Meal Selection and Consumption. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2019 Sep;119(9):1511-1515. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2019.04.003.
22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study, Final Report Volume 4: Student Participation, Satisfaction, Plate Waste, and Dietary Intakes. Alexandria, VA: April 2019.

Why Is Milk an Important Part of School Meal Programs?

Megan Holdaway, RDN, discusses the important role of milk in school meal programs.

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