Chocolate milk will no longer be served at Tahoma school cafeterias.

According to Kevin Patterson, spokesman for Tahoma School District, the Food and Nutrition Services Department decided to remove chocolate milk about a month ago due to its high sugar or fructose content, which they felt was “not conducive to a healthy lifestyle and doesn’t fit the district’s nutrition program goals.”

Additionally, milk that is sold to students must meet new federal requirements that only allows fat free or one percent milk to be sold.

Tahoma schools currently serve fat-free white, one percent white and soy milk.

At the Oct. 25 school board meeting, Rock Creek Elementary student Laura Pierson asked the board to reconsider its decision. She also presented a petition with 138 signatures as well as a letter from a Rock Creek class.

According to the Oct. 25 minutes, the board requested an explanation be given as to who made the decision and why.

Sheri Melewski, food and nutrition services supervisor, gave a presentation at the Nov. 8 meeting, explaining that chocolate milk was removed as a part of a three-year progression towards healthier choices for students. Canned food and foods with high sodium and high fructose corn syrup will be gradually replaced with fresh fruits, lower sodium foods and beverages with low sugar.

According to the presentation, a carton of chocolate milk has 140 calories and 25 grams of sugar, while fat-free milk has 110 calories and 12 grams of sugar. She also said that chocolate milk has not been banned from the school entirely, but is simply not sold by the cafeteria.

Although chocolate milk has been removed, certain foods such as pizza, french fries, mozzarella breadsticks and chicken nuggets are still available.