Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year! I love crafting costumes and enjoying Halloween candy each year. Often, the day is filled with ghoulish feasts and spooky sweets, which I thoroughly enjoy. This, however, can make it hard to find a treat that is also part of a healthy diet. 

How can you give your friends and a family a nutrition boost this Halloween? Enjoy a refreshing glass of chocolate milk!

As the Official Beverage of Halloween, fuel up with a glass of chocolate milk this October. To celebrate, bring a gallon to your neighborhood party, enjoy a glass as a post-trick-or-treating refreshment, or pass out small bottles or cartons to trick-or-treaters. Chocolate milk is the perfect beverage for Halloween because it is nutrition in disguise! With the same thirteen essential nutrients as white milk, you can feel good about drinking a glass. Each serving of chocolate milk includes calcium for strong bones, protein for muscle growth, potassium for a healthy heart, and more!

Experts agree that low-fat chocolate milk is a tasty way to build strong bones that no one will find frightening. According to the American Dairy Association, research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association confirms that chocolate milk is a healthy beverage for both kids and adults. This research found that kids who drink chocolate milk tend to drink less sweetened soft and fruit drinks, which are the number one source of calories and added sugars in their diet. They also found children who drink flavored milk or chocolate milk have higher calcium intakes and actually ingest less fat and sugar in their overall diet.

Not to mention, chocolate milk is a great recovery drink! With so many sports and activities kicking back off this fall, it’s important to build strong bones and recover your muscles. Chocolate milk can provide athletes of all ages the fluids and nutrients to replenish tired muscles. Next time you finish practice, think about reaching for a tall glass of cold chocolate milk instead of a sugary sports drink. 

As things start to get a bit creepier and crawlier this October, you can also use chocolate milk as a versatile and fresh ingredient. Consider turning your chocolate milk into delicious Chocolate Overnight Oats, a nutritious and delicious breakfast. To make this tasty creation, fill a cup with oats, chia seeds, a pinch of salt, add in chocolate milk and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, this delectable dish will be ready and waiting for you and is perfect topped with chocolate chips!

This holiday, keep your skeleton growing with a glass of chocolate milk. Celebrate the official drink of Halloween, and feel good about your choice! Find more recipes and fun ways to use chocolate milk at Aliceindairyland.com/single-post/haloween-s-official-drink-is-scary-delicious-chocolate-milk.

—  Julia Nunes is the 74th Alice in Dairyland, Wisconsin’s agriculture ambassador who works with media professionals to educate consumers about the importance of agriculture to Wisconsin’s economy and way of life. She can be reached at julia.nunes@wisconsin.gov.