• Posted January 16, 2026

Whole Milk Returns to School Lunches

Whole milk may soon be back on school lunch trays across the U.S.

President Donald Trump signed a new law Wednesday that allows schools to serve whole and 2% milk again, reversing rules that limited higher-fat milk options for more than a decade.

The law, called the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, lets schools in the National School Lunch Program offer whole milk and 2% milk alongside skim and low-fat choices. 

Roughly 30 million students nationwide take part in the program.

“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, whole milk is a great thing,” Trump said during a White House ceremony that included lawmakers, dairy farmers and their families.

The change could take effect as early as this fall, though school officials say some districts may need more time to adjust orders and supply chains, the Associated Press reported.

The law also expands access to non-dairy options. Schools may serve fortified soy milk and other non-dairy drinks that meet nutrition standards. A non-dairy option can be requested with a note from a parent, instead of a doctor, as had been mandated.

The move comes shortly after the release of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which highlight full-fat dairy as part of a healthy diet. Earlier guidelines had advised people over age 2 to choose low-fat or fat-free dairy.

For years, schools were required to limit higher-fat milk under rules tied to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed during the Obama administration. Those rules were designed to reduce saturated fat and calories in school meals.

Supporters of the new law say whole milk has been unfairly blamed for weight gain. Some studies suggest kids who drink whole milk may be less likely to be overweight than those who drink lower-fat milk. 

In fact, a 2020 review of 28 studies found kids who drank whole milk had a 40% lower risk of obesity, though researchers said they could not prove milk was why.

Critics of low-fat milk rules have also argued that many kids dislike the taste and stop drinking milk altogether, leading to wasted food and missed nutrients.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the law “a long-overdue correction to school nutrition policy.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it reversed what she described as a “short-sighted campaign to ditch whole milk.”

Schools will now be allowed to offer a wider range of milk options, including whole, 2%, 1%, lactose-free and organic milk, as well as approved non-dairy alternatives.

However, changes may still be in the offing. The new dietary guidelines recommend full-fat dairy with no added sugars, which would bar flavored milks like chocolate and strawberry. Officials still need to decide how schools should apply that guidance.

The law also removes milk fat from federal limits that require school meals to keep saturated fat under 10% of total calories.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University in Medford, Mass., told the Associated Press there is “no meaningful benefit” to choosing low-fat dairy over high-fat versions.

“Saturated fat in dairy has not been linked to any adverse health outcomes,” Mozaffarian said in an interview with the AP.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on cow's milk and milk alternatives nutrition.

SOURCE: Associated Press, Jan. 14, 2026