Water vs Milk- The Lunchroom Debate

Water vs Milk- The Lunchroom Debate

By Emma Sherry

At Northern Cambria School District, a typical school lunch includes a main dish, vegetables, fruit, and a carton of milk. Although this meets the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, most people would not choose milk as their drink of choice. Many people would prefer to drink water with their lunch instead of milk.

According to School Nutrition Standards, all U.S. school meals are required to meet certain health guidelines. Schools also want to receive federal reimbursements. In order to do this, schools must offer meals that meet those health guidelines. The guidelines, also known as ¨the meal pattern,¨ require schools to offer proper amounts of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains, and lean protein. Personally, I do not think that students should be forced to have milk with their meals for many reasons.

One reason I do not think students should be given milk as the drink of choice is because many people have dairy sensitivities or simply do not like milk. Milk is typically viewed as a ¨breakfast¨ beverage, so having it for lunch can be seen as odd for many. Now more than ever, people are more prone to develop food sensitivities. In Helen West’s article, ¨Lactose Intolerance 101- Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment¨ she states how Lactose Intolerance is actually very common. It is thought that 75% of the world’s population is affected by this food sensitivity. With these statistics, I do not understand why schools would provide milk as the included lunch beverage.

Some people may not mind drinking milk with their lunch, but there should be a free alternative. For example, I think the school should provide free water for the students who are sensitive to dairy or for students who do not want milk as their drink of choice. No one should have to pay for a basic human necessity. Water is extremely vital for the human body to function properly. It is suggested that people should drink an average of 64oz of water a day. Providing free water with school lunches can help students and even teachers reach their daily water intake. After all, our bodies are made up of approximately 70% water.

Works Cited

School Nutrition Standards, schoolnutrition.org/AboutSchoolMeals/SchoolNutritionStandards/.

West, Helen. “Lactose Intolerance 101 - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 June 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/lactose-intolerance-101.Accessdate