In an effort to reduce San Francisco kids’ sugar consumption, San Francisco Unified School District will stop selling chocolate milk in school cafeterias.
In the past, chocolate milk has been unaffected by efforts to promote healthier cafeteria choices because it is a source of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. But one carton of the sweet beverage also includes almost half of a student’s recommended daily sugar allowance, so this year, it will be off school menus. Learn more about the change from the SF Chronicle.
Metta Fund has been proud to support efforts to improve healthy eating by curbing youth consumption of sugar sweetened beverages over the past five years. These drinks, including sodas, artificially sweetened juices, and many sports drinks, contribute heavily to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. In San Francisco and across the country, African American and Latino communities are particularly affected by sugary drink consumption and the health risks that accompany it.
In 2013, Metta supported Shape Up SF’s Rethink Your Drink media campaign, which worked to educate San Franciscans about the negative health effects of sugary beverages and promote the consumption of water, milk, and other non-sweetened drinks. More recently, Metta has supported the Bigger Picture, a project which helps empower youth of color to speak out about the environmental factors, including the prevalence of sugar sweetened beverages and targeting by the beverage industry, which drive the Type 2 diabetes epidemic in their communities.