Why Is Chocolate Milk Back in Watertown School Cafeterias?

Students found something missing from the Watertown school lunch menu when they returned to school in the fall - chocolate milk. Recently, however, the flavored milk has made a return - but why?

John Loughran, director of business services for the Watertown Public Schools told the School Committee that the district's food services director found some chocolate milk that meets the requirements of the , which stress low fat, low sugar meals with fewer calories.

Students welcomed the return of chocolate milk enthusiastically.

"Chocolate milk reappeared subsequent to New Year's and at one elementary school, income from milk was $170,000."

The milk has less sugar, Loughran said, so it meets the new standards.

The new regulations have also had an impact on the school lunch program's funding. The district started the financial year in July with a $90,000 surplus in the School Lunch Revolving Fund, Loughran said. By December the fund dropped to $13,000 and in January it had $6,000, Loughran said.

One of the areas hardest hit by the new nutritional standards is the a la carte items at school cafeterias, Loughran said. Items included the flavored milk, ice cream and fruit. 

"It is a problem from the financial point of view," Loughran said. "It may not be the best food for you, but it helped us financially with the school lunch program."

Loughran said the school lunch program will look for other items that meet the new regulations and are popular with students.

"Chocolate milk has been great. We will look at other things to bring back," Loughran said. "I know ice cream has been missed at the high school."

School Committee Vice Chairman John Portz suggested that frozen yogurt could be a good alternative to ice cream.