President Donald Trump has officially reinstated the availability of whole milk in school cafeterias nationwide by signing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law. This legislation overturns limits established during the Obama administration that had restricted higher-fat milk options in schools.
Effective immediately, schools involved in the National School Lunch Program may serve whole milk and 2% milk in addition to the skim and low-fat varieties that have been standard since 2012. The legislation also expands allowances for nondairy beverages, such as fortified soy milk, providing they meet the nutritional criteria of milk.
At a signing ceremony held at the White House, President Trump emphasized the bipartisan nature of the policy change, stating, "Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, whole milk is a great thing." The event was attended by lawmakers, dairy farmers, and children.
Significantly, the new law mandates that schools offer a nondairy milk option not only when a medical note is provided but also with a parental note citing dietary restrictions. This adjustment broadens access to milk alternatives within the school meal framework.
The timing of this law’s enactment closely follows the publication of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend the inclusion of full-fat dairy products as part of a healthy diet for most individuals. This marks a notable shift from previous guidelines that encouraged consumption of low-fat or fat-free dairy products for those older than two years.
The Department of Agriculture promoted the change through recent social media campaigns featuring President Trump with a glass of milk and a playful “milk mustache” graphic encouraging the public to “Drink Whole Milk.”
Implementation of these changes may begin as early as this upcoming fall semester, although school nutrition officials and dairy industry representatives caution that some districts may require additional time to assess demand profiles and adjust supply chains accordingly.
This policy move is a culmination of longstanding lobbying efforts by the dairy industry to reverse aspects of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act passed more than a decade ago. That act, heavily advocated by former first lady Michelle Obama, sought to combat childhood obesity by reducing saturated fat and calorie intake through limitations on higher-fat milk.
Proponents of whole milk argue that it is a nutritious and palatable option for children and contend that available studies suggest a correlation between whole milk consumption and lower obesity rates among youth compared to low-fat milk. Critics of the previous restrictions also note that children often dislike the taste of lower-fat milk, which can lead to decreased consumption and increased food waste.
Approximately 30 million students participating in the National School Lunch Program will be directly impacted by these new milk options.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described this legislative change as a "long-overdue correction to school nutrition policy," while Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins criticized prior measures as "short-sighted," referencing Michelle Obama's efforts to eliminate whole milk from school meals.
The mandate requires schools to provide students with a diverse milk selection including flavored and unflavored organic or conventional whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, lactose-free milk, and eligible nondairy alternatives complying with specified nutrition standards.
New dietary recommendations emphasize consumption of "full-fat dairy with no added sugars," which effectively excludes flavored milks containing added sugars such as chocolate and strawberry varieties. The agricultural authorities are responsible for translating these guidelines into enforceable standards, likely resulting in the removal of flavored milk options from school menus.
The legislation also excludes milk fat from calculations that impose federal restrictions on saturated fat content in school meals, which require saturated fats to constitute less than 10% of total calories. According to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a leading nutrition expert at Tufts University, there is "no meaningful benefit" in selecting low-fat over high-fat dairy products. He explained that the saturated fatty acids present in dairy have a distinct composition from those in other sources like beef fat and contain beneficial compounds that may offset potential negative effects. Dr. Mozaffarian stated, “Saturated fat in dairy has not been linked to any adverse health outcomes.”
Research has indicated that federal nutrition reforms enacted under the Obama administration contributed to slowing the increase of obesity rates among U.S. children and adolescents. However, recent studies suggest that children who consume whole milk might have a reduced likelihood of becoming overweight or developing obesity compared to those consuming lower-fat milk. A 2020 systematic review of 28 studies reported that the obesity risk was approximately 40% lower among children who drank whole milk, though the review did not establish causality between milk type and health outcomes.