Behind the Headlines

Last week the New York Times and other media outlets covered the growing controversy over serving chocolate milk in school: Some people believe that it’s too high in added sugar; others maintain it’s a good way to get kids to drink milk. Our thoughts? Enough is enough. Let’s let kids enjoy their chocolate milk while we turn our attention to fighting bigger battles.

The recent Journal of the American Medical Association commentary, “Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century—a Time for Food, “ was an enlightening read.  “A major shift,” the authors say, “is needed to novel, evidence-based strategies in which foods comprise the principal dietary targets.” This perspective is long overdue: The Dietary Guidelines should focus more on foods to consume on a daily basis rather than on attempting to establish restrictive nutrients levels that people have little interest in tracking.