Chocolate milk may seem like a sweet treat for kids, but it's actually a good addition to a healthy diet. Consider substituting it for soft drinks or other sweetened beverages, drink a glass instead of eating dessert or enjoy a glass as an afternoon pick-me-up to reap its nutritional benefits.
The Facts
An 8-oz. serving of low-fat chocolate milk has about 190 calories; the same-size serving of chocolate whole milk has about 208 calories, and a serving of low-fat, or 1 percent, chocolate milk has about 158 calories, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. An 8-oz. serving of low-fat chocolate milk also contains 2.5 grams of fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 190 mg of sodium, 8 g of protein and 29 g of carbohydrates, including 1 g of dietary fiber. An 8-oz. serving of chocolate milk also contains 10 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin A, 6 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 4 percent of the recommended daily value of iron.
Significance
Calcium plays an important role in bone health. Children and adolescents need calcium to grow strong, healthy bones, and adults who get enough calcium in their diets are less likely to develop osteoporosis, according to the Michigan State University Extension's Food and Nutrition Service. Chocolate milk is a rich source of calcium, with 30 percent of the recommended daily value of calcium in one 8-oz. serving.
Benefits
Recent research suggests that drinking chocolate milk may have additional benefits. In a study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Spanish researchers reported that drinking chocolate milk made from unsweetened cocoa powder appeared to reduce some of the inflammation risk factors associated with heart disease. Low-fat chocolate milk is also recommended by the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a recovery beverage for athletes since its nutritional content helps to replenish the body's essential nutrients after vigorous exercise.
Considerations
People who are prone to calcium oxalate kidney stones might want to avoid chocolate milk. Oxalate, a substance that is found naturally in the cocoa beans used to make chocolate, can cause kidney stones to occur when high levels of oxalate buildup in the body.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that the chocolate in chocolate milk interferes with calcium absorption, but that old wives' tale seems to have been proven untrue by researchers at Creighton University School of Medicine, who published in an 1988 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a study that showed no significant difference in the absorption of calcium from chocolate milk as compared with whole milk.
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