Returns to whole milk School cafeterias Across the country after President Donald Trump signed a bill Wednesday that repeals Obama-era restrictions on high-fat milk options.
Non-dairy beverages such as fortified soy milk may also be on the menu in the coming months after the program is approved Whole milk law for healthy childrenwhich Congress acquitted in the fall.
The measure allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve 2% whole milk alongside the fat-free and low-fat products required since 2012.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, whole milk is a great thing,” Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House that included lawmakers, dairy farmers and their children.
The law also allows schools to offer nondairy milk that meets nutritional standards for milk and requires schools to offer a nondairy milk substitute if children provide a note from their parents, not just doctors, stating they have dietary restrictions.
The signing comes days later release From the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, which emphasizes Consumption of full-fat dairy products As part of a healthy diet. Previous editions advised that consumers older than 2 years should consume low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Agriculture sent A Social media sharing Trump is shown holding a glass of milk and a “milk drinker” that says: “Drink whole milk.”
The change could take effect as soon as this fall, though school nutrition and dairy industry officials said it could take longer for some schools to gauge demand for full-fat dairy products and adjust supply chains.
The return of 2 percent whole milk to school meals, long sought by the dairy industry, runs counter to provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act championed by former first lady Michelle Obama. Passed more than a dozen years ago, the law was intended to slow obesity and promote health by reducing children’s consumption of saturated fat and calories in high-fat milk.
Nutritionists, lawmakers and the dairy industry have argued that whole milk is a delicious, nutritious food that has been unfairly maligned, and that some studies suggest that children who drink it are less likely to develop obesity than those who drink lower-fat options. Critics also said that many children do not like the taste of low-fat milk and do not drink it, leading to nutritional loss and food waste.
The new rules will change the meals provided to about 30 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program.
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the new law “a long overdue correction to school nutrition policy.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it fixed Michelle Obama’s “short-sighted campaign to eliminate whole milk.”
Schools will be required to provide students with a range of liquid milk options, which can now include organic or conventional whole milk, flavored and unflavored, 2%, 1%, and lactose-free milk, as well as non-dairy options that meet nutritional standards.
The new dietary guidelines call for “full-fat dairy products without added sugars,” which would prevent chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milks from being allowed. Within the latest update School Meal Standards Agriculture officials will need to translate this recommendation into specific requirements for schools to eliminate flavored milk.
The new law exempts milk fat from being considered part of the federal requirement that saturated fats average less than 10% of calories in school meals.
One leading nutrition expert, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University, said there is “no meaningful benefit” in choosing low-fat dairy products over high-fat dairy. He added that the saturated fatty acids in dairy products have a different composition than other fats, such as cow fat, in addition to different beneficial compounds that can compensate for the theoretical damage.
“Saturated fat in dairy products has not been linked to any adverse health outcomes,” Mozaffarian said in an interview.
Research has shown that changes in the federal nutrition program after the enactment of the Obama-era law Slowing the rise in obesity Among US children, including teenagers.
But some nutrition experts point to more recent research suggesting that children who drink whole milk may be less likely to be overweight or obese than children who drink low-fat milk. One 2020 Review of 28 studies He notes that the risk was 40% lower for children who drank whole milk, although the authors noted that they could not determine whether milk consumption was the cause.
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