Three smiling milk cartons in chocolate, plain, and strawberry flavors

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Should Schools Serve Flavored Milk?

March 30, 2026
By Cailin Loesch

As You Read, Think About: What are some of the health benefits of milk?

Courtesy Sanjiv Sinha 

Soaham Sinha

Soaham Sinha had a goal last school year. He and his classmate Henry Mudd wanted to bring chocolate milk back to Burlingame Intermediate School in California. They surveyed 822 students at their school. They found that more than 74 percent of kids didn’t drink plain milk at lunch. But 68 percent did drink chocolate milk when it was offered a few years ago. 

Soaham and Henry learned that kids miss out on important nutrients when they don’t drink milk. The pair started a petition to bring chocolate milk back to their school. In less than four days, more than 400 students signed it. In April 2025, Soaham and Henry presented their findings to school district leaders. 

Their plan worked! In May 2025, the school began serving flavored milk two days a week.

“I’m proud that we were able to turn student voices into real change,” says Soaham, who is now in eighth grade.

About 80 percent of school districts in the U.S. serve flavored milk, according to the School Nutrition Association. Those in favor of it say milk helps kids grow—and flavored milk is better than no milk at all. But others argue that flavored milk is packed with sugar.

Should schools serve chocolate and strawberry milk?

Flavored milk contains the same nutrients that plain milk does. It has calcium and vitamin D, which help build healthy bones, and protein, which builds muscle. These nutrients also help boost your immune system. But many kids don’t like the taste of plain milk. Some people worry that if kids don’t have the option of flavored milk, they may not get enough calcium and vitamin D. 

Serving flavored milk can also help reduce waste. According to the World Wildlife Fund, U.S. schools throw away up to 45 million gallons of milk each year. That’s about 32 cartons per student. Much of that is plain milk.

Greg Land, the principal at Burlingame Intermediate, is glad to see more students drinking milk. He points out that flavored milk meets state standards for sugar and fat. For Land, it’s not just what’s offered, but what kids actually consume. 

“As they say, it isn’t healthy if they don’t drink it or eat it,” he explains.

More than two-thirds of milk consumed by kids in school is flavored.

Source: International Dairy Foods Association

Many school district leaders think flavored milk is too sweet. One 8-ounce carton can contain 3 teaspoons of added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends that kids have less than 6 teaspoons of added sugars in an entire day. Eating or drinking too much added sugar can lead to health problems.

Some experts say it’s OK to drink flavored milk once in a while. But they point out that having too much of it could cause kids to crave even more sweets.

“Chocolate milk can be considered a treat,” explains nutrition expert Nicole Silber. “It shouldn’t be part of your regular lunch. The best choice is water or unflavored milk.”

Besides, Silber adds, kids who don’t like plain milk don’t need to miss out on key nutrients. They can get calcium and vitamin D from other foods, like yogurt, cheese, fruits, and vegetables.

A student who drinks one carton of flavored milk each day can consume about 3 pounds of added sugars each school year.

1. Based on the article, how can someone use a petition to bring about change?

2. What is the main argument for serving flavored milk in schools?

3. What are the main reasons some people say it’s a bad idea to serve flavored milk in schools?

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