Chocolate milk has been creating significant buzz lately. I even got the chance to blog about how it was being recommended as the treat of choice this past Halloween. It’s also a well-loved "sports drink" by many athletes and they have it mostly after exercise.

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.

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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