Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a bipartisan bill allowing whole and 2% milk to return to school lunch menus as a part of the National School Lunch Program in a 330-99 vote.
If approved by the Senate, H.R. 1147 would reverse the 2010 legislation that limited cafeteria milk options to fat-free or 1% milk. After the legislation passed in 2010, milk consumption in schools dropped significantly. Not only has milk consumption in schools dropped, but there has also been a shift in the type of milk children drink. According to the National Milk Producers Federation in the graph below, in 2022, whole and 2 percent milk accounted for roughly 80 percent of consumption.
"Milk is an essential building block for a well-rounded and balanced diet, offering 13 essential nutrients and numerous health benefits. However, out-of-touch and outdated federal regulations have imposed restrictions on the types of milk students have access to in school meals,” says Rep. GT Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee who introduced the act along with Rep. Kim Schrier earlier this year. “I am pleased to see my bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act pass out of the United States House of Representatives, and I ultimately look forward to restoring access to these nutritious beverages in schools across the country."
The focus now turns to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, which has jurisdiction over child nutrition issues. The Senate must consider and pass the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act by the end of the 118th Congress, or by January 3, 2025.
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