Group of doctors wants to ban milk from schools
By Laura Hibbard, Huffington Post
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a national vegan and physician group based out of D.C., has filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking for milk to be banned from school lunches, according parenting site BabyCenter.
According to the report, PCRM claims that the beverage is “…high in sugar, high in fat and high in animal protein that is harmful to, rather than protective of, bone health.”
Despite the American Heart Association’s recommendation that children between ages 1 and 8 drink around two cups of reduced-fat milk a day, the PCRM asserts in its petition there are better ways for youngsters to get their calcium.
“Children can get the calcium they need from beans, green leafy vegetables (e.g., broccoli, kale, collard greens), tofu products, breads and cereals. Additionally, a wide variety of non-dairy, calcium-fortified beverages is available today including soy milk, rice milk and fruit juice, all of which provide greater health and nutritional benefits compared with dairy milk.”
Anne Goetze, a registered and licensed dietitian at the Oregon Dairy Products Commission, told the Capital Press that while calcium is available in other foods and beverages, it couples many other necessary vitamins as well.
Instead of milk, I feed my teens shakes made from Rice Milk, shelled Hemp Seed and Agave Nectar. These shakes are creamy, delicious, and kids love them. Best of all, the hemp seeds are loaded with the perfect balance of essential fatty acids and provide more protein than steak.
ZSteve, just make sure they are getting enough calcium! If not, they will pay for it in their later years.
I prefer nut milks, and they are easy to make.
A yummy simple dessert shake is frozen mangoes, water and some cashew pieces whirled at high speed in blender. The nuts make it creamy, and cashews don’t need to be pre-soaked like almonds do. No sugar needed.
Studies show drinking cow milk is unhealthy. There are alot of other natural sources for calcium.