Bucky Badger Promotes Milk
Posted: October 31, 2007
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has teamed up with Bucky Badger, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s mascot to encourage students to drink milk.
The got milk? Bucky Does! promotional campaign includes school promotional kits and live Bucky Badger appearances at five Wisconsin middle schools. The campaign focuses on the health benefits of milk highlighting calcium and the eight other essential vitamins and minerals found in milk.
“The goal of this campaign is to draw attention to milk in school cafeterias and to make school cafeterias a fun place to eat,” explains Laura Wilford, Director of the Wisconsin Dairy Council, the nutrition education department of WMMB.” It helps us work towards our goal of having every Wisconsin student drink at least one serving of milk at school each day.”
“WMMB is sponsoring Bucky Badger appearances at select Wisconsin middle schools because these students are at a key age for developing life-long milk drinking habits,” explains Wilford.
In addition to the live appearances, over 1,000 got milk? Bucky Does! promotional kits have been sent to schools across the state. The kit includes a life-size Bucky Badger standup along with promotion tips and ideas for school foodservice directors. The cardboard cut-out features Bucky Badger holding a glass of chocolate milk and a glass of white milk to remind students that they need 3-4 servings of dairy products each day for strong bones and good health.
Jim Kurrant Said,
November 1, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Drinking milk seems healthy enough but I’m not sure about chocolate milk. That stuff supposedly has as much sugar as soda. While the business deal between WMMB and UW seems like a win-win, I get uncomfortable thinking that Bucky may be helping little kids get fatter. Can someone verify that chocolate milk has low sugar? Here’s what I read about it: http://www.milkprocon.org/questions/flavoredmilk.htm.
Chuck Said,
November 2, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
Jim, I appreciate your concern. However, I don’t think any product can be blamed for causing kids to get “fatter.” In my opinion, that would be the responsibility of the kid’s parents. I looked at the article you pointed to and I think the “pro” science outweighs the “con” emotionalism. Groups like PETA have an agenda that has nothing to do with real concern for people so I sure wouldn’t put any credence in anything they have to say.
Anyway, I’d sure rather have my kid drinking a glass of chocolate milk than a soda! It’s a lot more nutritious.
News Editor Said,
November 2, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Hi Jim-
You may also want to read the FAQs on flavored milk from this website:
http://www.midwestdairy.com/pages/index.cfm?TREE_ID=583
I think it has some helpful answers to your questions. Here is one example:
Does flavored milk contain as much added sugar as fruit drinks or carbonated soft
drinks?
No. While flavored milk contains both natural and added sugars (nearly half of the sugar
in flavored milk is naturally present in the milk), it doesn’t have nearly as much as other
beverages that kids are drinking such as carbonated soft drinks. On average, an eight-
ounce low-fat flavored milk has around 4 teaspoons of added sugar while a can of soda
has about 9 teaspoons and fruit punch about 6 teaspoons. Researchers analyzed food
consumption data from the Nutrition Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) and found that chocolate milk and other flavored milks contributed only 2
percent of total added sugar in a teen’s diet, compared to 50 percent or more added by
soft drinks and fruit drinks.