US children could soon have whole milk back on school menus after nearly 15 years, following President Donald Trump’s signing of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act on Wednesday (January 14). The law allows schools to serve whole milk alongside low-fat and fat-free options.
The legislation is expected to expand milk options for nearly 30 million children who participate in school meal programs. President Trump hailed the move as a victory for the dairy industry.
“These changes will be major victories for the American dairy farmers, who we love and who voted for me in great numbers,” Trump said at the White House.
The Act represents a longstanding priority of the dairy industry, tracing back to the Obama administration.
MAHA agenda alignment
The law also aligns with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, which is championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. MAHA has promoted other measures, such as curbing childhood vaccines and discouraging artificial food dyes.
“This is exactly the kind of practical change that will make America healthy again,” Kennedy said at the signing ceremony.
Reversing a decade-long restriction
Since 2012, schools were required to serve only low-fat and fat-free milk under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a school meal reform spearheaded by former first lady Michelle Obama to combat childhood obesity.
Farm and dairy groups have argued that the restriction reduced milk consumption and that higher-fat milk does not harm children’s health.
Implementation and USDA guidelines
Under the new law, schools may serve whole, reduced-fat, and lower-fat milk. Implementation is expected to take a few weeks, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
School meals must still meet USDA nutrition standards to qualify for federal reimbursement. Last week, the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services released updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which now encourages full-fat dairy consumption, marking a major shift from decades of low-fat guidance.
