Thinking Outside the Carton

Published: July 30, 2018

Deciding what to give your children to eat and drink is a minefield these days, even when it comes to milk. Once almost universally regarded as a daily dietary staple packed with vitamins and minerals essential for good health, its relationship with consumers over the years has somewhat soured.

With those “Got Milk?” ads starring everyone from Kermit the Frog to Beyoncé long gone and the explosion of social media, parents are now engulfed with endless, often conflicting, messages about how to best feed their brood. One minute, milk is a superfood for all; the next it’s full of hormones, causes bloating and bad acne.

Shreela Sharma, Ph.D., associate professor and registered dietitian at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, sympathizes with the plight of parents and wants to help demystify milk so they can make balanced, well-informed choices.