Does flavored milk contain as much added sugar as fruit drinks or carbonated soft drinks?
No. While flavored milk contains both natural and added sugars (nearly half of the sugar in flavored milk is naturally present in the milk), it contains less added sugar than other beverages that kids are drinking such as carbonated soft drinks. On average, an eight-ounce low-fat flavored milk contains around 4 teaspoons of added sugar while an equivalent amount of fruit punch contains 6 teaspoons and an equivalent amount of soda contains 7 teaspoons. However, soda in a can is typically consumed as a 12-ounce serving, which provides 9 teaspoons of added sugar. Researchers analyzed food consumption data from the Nutrition Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found that flavored milks contributed only 2 percent of total added sugar in children’s diets, compared to 50 percent or more added by soft drinks and fruit drinks.
No. While flavored milk contains both natural and added sugars (nearly half of the sugar in flavored milk is naturally present in the milk), it contains less added sugar than other beverages that kids drink, such as carbonated soft drinks. On average, an eight–ounce, low–fat flavored milk contains around 4 teaspoons of added sugar, while an equivalent amount of fruit punch contains 6 teaspoons, and an equivalent amount of soda contains 7 teaspoons. However, soda in a can is typically consumed as a 12–ounce serving, which provides 9 teaspoons of added sugar. Flavored milk contributes only 2 percent of total added sugar in children’s diets, compared to 50 percent or more by soft and fruit drinks according to data from the Nutrition Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Related Questions
- For flavoured milk drinks to be permitted in schools, do they need to contain less than 5% added sugar/honey overall, or less than 5% added sugar/honey in the milk part of the drink?
- Does flavored milk contain as much added sugar as fruit drinks or carbonated soft drinks?
- Does the food contain natural sugar from milk, fruit or vegetables?
