Author(s): Dr. Medha Kumari

Abstract:
Consumption of beverages with extra calories but little nutritional value can displace healthy food and beverages children need to optimize learning. Many drink bottles, a popular school lunch choice, are sugary fruit-flavoured drinks that tend to have less than 10 percent juice. Some have added vitamin-C, but lack of other nutrients offered by real fruit juices. Soft drinks are also a part of the daily diet for many school age children. Approximately one-third of students in grades-IV-VIII consume soft drinks daily. On the other hand, unfortunately, many school-aged-children are not consuming enough milk products to support their health. Since roughly one third of a child’s food intake for the day occurs at school, the school environment is a perfect place to encourage milk consumption.