A student drinks chocolate milk at Cedar Ridge Elementary School's cafeteria back in 2011. I loved chocolate milk with lunch as a kid, but truth be told, I would have probably drank soda if they let me. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World File
It was late in the evening, so we opted to get fast food for our family dinner.
Part of our 17-month-old's meal was chocolate milk, which we really hadn't given her in the past.
She loved it, draining an entire sippy cup within 5 minutes.
Moments later, she is hyper, hopping while walking with wide eyes, talking excitedly and also swaying around, almost impersonating an inebriated person.
Should you give a child chocolate milk? Her's what
Babycenter.com says:
Same nutrients as regular milk: It's a valuable source of protein, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium, perfect for a growing child.
Added sugar, more calories: No wonder my daughter was acting funny. At least we just got done swimming, so no worries about the added calories.
Sugar may lead to appetite changes: Constantly offering sugary snacks like chocolate milk can make kids less receptive to plainer fare, including vegetables.
After walking funny back home, she continued acting funny once arriving home, repeatedly closing and opening a bottle with a bubble wand inside.
On the plus side, once going to sleep (a bit late) she slept extremely well. For once, her parents woke up to an actual alarm clock.
Still, we're going to continue limiting the sugary stuff, chocolate milk included.
--Althea Peterson
SCENE: Visit the home to all things food, movies, TV, music and local entertainment.
