Have you noticed the sizes of treats at the movies? Let’s all keep in mind that package size should not dictate an appropriate level of consumption. Theater candies are best shared with your movie going compatriots. CSPI recently wrote about food and beverages available at the movies. Here’s what we have to say: Eat candy as an enjoyable part of life, in moderation. Read the nutrition facts on all food packages and make informed decisions about what and how much to consume to maintain a healthy diet.
NCA’s official response:
Just like a night at the movies, candy and chocolate are fun treats that add a little pleasure to our lives. Consumers enjoy candy when they celebrate, relax and have fun with family and friends.
Less than two percent of consumers’ caloric intake comes from candy, proving that individuals realize candy is an occasional treat. When it comes to candy, consumers always know what they are getting, as candy products are clearly labeled. There are a variety of candy and chocolate options to fit every taste and lifestyle including small, “snack size” or “bite size” confections as well as low-fat, non-fat and sugar free candy products. Larger theater style packages, clearly labeled as to their portion sizes, are meant to be shared with a group of friends or family while viewing a movie or event or participating in the many shared experiences of our lives together.
Cinema by Emmanuel Tabard.
America’s dairy farmers and milk processors have teamed up to produce a new campaign aimed at keeping chocolate milk available to kids in schools. The Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk campaign comes on the heels of evolving legislation designed to limit or eliminate soda and other sugary drinks in schools. The campaign maintains that children love chocolate milk, no surprise here, for its flavor. They say that removing chocolate milk from the lunch menu will drive kids to other sweet drinks, and not regular white milk.
Kids can get a good amount of the goodness of milk in flavored milk options, and that is what the point is. They love it for the flavor and parents love the nutritional value of chocolate milk. Even for older kids, chocolate milk has been shown to have benefits. Researchers at George Mason University and Indiana University have found that drinking chocolate milk after exercising helps muscles heal and rebuild just as effectively as the popular sports drinks do.
“[Reduced-fat chocolate milk] contains 170 total calories, with 29 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein, a 3.6-1 ratio. Optimal recovery ratio for carbs to protein is between 3-1 and 4-1,” Cheryl Zonkowski, director of sports nutrition at the University of Florida, said. Other valuable nutrients found in milk include vitamins A, D, B-6 and B-12, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Here are the top five arguments from the Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk campaign:
- Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored.
- Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and is a healthful alternative to soft drinks.
- Drinking lowfat or fat free white or flavored milk helps kids get the 3 daily servings of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five “nutrients of concern” that children do not get enough of – calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D.
- Children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers.
- Lowfat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away.
Chocolate Milk by hleo.
Brenda Ponnay at Alpha Mom has some great ideas for how to deal with the gobs of candy that you are wading through in the after-Halloween madness. Me, I simply ate everything that was leftover so I wouldn’t have to deal with it, but I understand some of you prefer a more civilized approach.
One of Brenda’s ideas was to make something like an Advent calendar with small paper cups and tissue paper. Every day, her daughter can take one of the cups with candy in it. This is not just a great idea for how to not gorge oneself on that much candy, but also establishes a system and standard for portion control. Her daughter will not only get an appropriate portion of candy but will also develop a mental model of what that portion size might be.
Another idea she came up with is a harvest tree, which is is a plant with tissue-wrapped candy hanging off it. The candy then becomes not just a delicious treat but also a decoration. Her final idea was to make a turkey piñata. I like this idea a lot, partly because of the absurdity of piñatas in general. A giant creature you beat until candy comes out both frightens and delights me. I will have to reexamine my vegetarian sensibilities and maybe even get back in touch with my old boss Tom Reagan to figure out if having a turkey piñata puts me in a philosophical quandary.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Brenda’s blog post for some great ideas.
Candy Calendar by secret agent josephine
