Acceptability of soymilk as a calcium-rich beverage in elementary school children

Dairy products are the main source of calcium in the National School Lunch Program. Children who avoid dairy products because of lactose intolerance or other concerns can benefit from the availability of another calcium-rich beverage in the National School Lunch Program. This study assessed whether elementary school children would select and consume calcium-fortified soymilk in school cafeterias and whether the addition of soymilk would increase the percentage of students selecting a calcium-rich beverage at lunch. The ratio of saturated fat to calcium consumed from calcium-rich beverages with and without the availability of soymilk was also determined. After 4 weeks of soymilk availability, 22.3% of students chose soymilk and consumed an average of 58% of each carton, whereas 77.6% chose dairy milk and consumed an average of 52.6%. Total calcium-rich beverage selection with lunch increased from 79% to 83.1%. Calcium consumption per gram of saturated fat consumed from calcium-rich beverages also rose from 194 mg to 237 mg with the addition of soymilk.