The National Milk Mustache 'got milk?'® Campaign Celebrates Chocolate Milk: The Official Drink of Halloween

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweets are at the heart of Halloween fun, but it's easy for parents to make the holiday a little more nutritious without being booed by the kids. This Halloween, the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, in partnership the American Academy of Pediatrics, is encouraging parents and kids alike to "treat their bones." Experts agree that lowfat chocolate milk is nutrient-rich and packed with bone-building nutrients that won't haunt anyone's health – it's a nutritious beverage in disguise and the "Official Drink of Halloween."

"We know that kids need calcium and vitamin D early in life to help reach their peak bone density, and unfortunately most kids are still falling short on these important bone-building nutrients," said Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, pediatrician, American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson and child health expert. "During Halloween when the house is bursting with sweets, lowfat chocolate milk is a nutritious treat parents can feel good about - it contains the same essential nutrients found in white milk with a taste kids love."

A Skeleton Strengthener

Lowfat chocolate milk is a nutritious Halloween treat loaded with nine essential nutrients to build strong bones, including calcium, vitamin D, protein, phosphorus and potassium. Each 8-oz. serving of chocolate milk provides one-third (300 milligrams) of the calcium kids need. Research suggests that kids who avoid milk are more likely to suffer bone fractures, have lower bone mass and may even be shorter than their milk-drinking peers. (1),(2),(3) So not only are you nurturing your kids' bodies, you're rewarding them with something they love.

Studies also show that kids who drink flavored milk get more calcium and other critical nutrients, and do not have higher total intakes of added sugars or total fat than children who don't drink flavored milk.(4),(5),(6) Research shows that kids who drink flavored milk tend to drink fewer sugary sodas and are more likely to be at a healthy weight compared to kids who drink little or no milk. So this Halloween and beyond, swap out sugary sodas, sports drinks or fruit juices for a nutritious skeleton-building beverage.

Spook-tacular Recipes

There's nothing scary about a nutritious treat in disguise. Check out www.whymilk.com for these frighteningly fun Halloween-inspired recipes:

• Chocolate-Strawberry Shivering Pops or Smoothies: A chillin' treat, both nutritious & delicious
• Minty Witch's Brew: A fresh mint twist for a spell-binding hot chocolate
• Goblin Good Rice Pudding: Healthful goodies buried inside a traditional favorite
• Magical Creamy Chocolate-Banana Oatmeal: A magical trick on a breakfast treat
• Chocolate Slime Fruit Dunkers: Fun fruit dunkers make this kid-friendly dip a holiday favorite

Something to Scream About

This October, enter the "Official Drink of Halloween Contest" for a chance to win a family trip to Orlando. Share how you work your magic getting your kids their nine essential nutrients while celebrating chocolate milk as the "Official Drink of Halloween." Visit www.whymilk.com and Facebook.com/MilkMustache for contest details, healthy Halloween tips and more about the health benefits of lowfat chocolate milk and make it a part of your celebrations. For more spooky fun, follow @MilkMustache for a Halloween Twitter party with Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, who will share tips and tricks for creating a healthy and happy Halloween for the whole family. Tune in on October 25, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EDT for a chance to win great prizes and learn more about lowfat chocolate milk.

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign

The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk.  For more information, go to www.whymilk.com. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign.

About the American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. www.aap.org and www.healthychildren.org

References:

(1) Goulding A, et al. Children who avoid drinking cow's milk are at increased risk for prepubertal bone fractures. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004; 104:250-253.

(2) Rockell JEP, et al. Two-year changes in bone and body composition in young children with a history of prolonged milk avoidance. Osteoporosis International. 2005; 16:1016-1023.

(3) Fiorito LM, et al. Girls' calcium intake is associated with bone mineral content during middle childhood. Journal of Nutrition. 2006; 136:1281-1286.

(4) Johnson RK, Frary C, Wang MQ. The nutritional consequences of flavored milk consumption by school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2002;102:853-856.

(5) Frary CD, Johnson RK, Wang MQ. Children and adolescents' choices of foods and beverages high in added sugars are associated with intakes of key nutrients and food groups. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2004;34:56-63.

(6) Murphy MM, Douglass JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in U.S. children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2008;108:631-639.

SOURCE National Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign