New Legislation Returns Full-Fat Dairy Options to the National School Lunch Program

2026-01-15 politics

Washington D.C., Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
President Trump signs legislation today restoring whole milk to schools. The act notably exempts milk from saturated fat caps, marking a pivotal shift in federal nutrition policy and dietary guidelines.

Executive Action Reverses Decade-Old Nutrition Mandates

President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 into law at 2:00 p.m. ET today, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, during a ceremony in the Oval Office [2][3][5]. This bipartisan legislation mandates that the National School Lunch Program, which serves nearly 30 million students, must offer whole and 2% milk options, effectively dismantling restrictions that have been in place since 2012 [3][5][7]. The move reverses key regulatory components of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 signed by former President Barack Obama, which had limited schools to serving only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties in an effort to combat childhood obesity [1][3]. The new law requires schools to provide flavored and unflavored whole or reduced-fat milk options, alongside nutritionally equivalent non-dairy beverages [3][5].

Redefining Dietary Standards

The legislation aligns with a broader overhaul of federal nutrition policy under the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which seeks to reduce chronic disease through dietary reform [5][6]. On January 7, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled updated dietary guidelines represented by an inverted food pyramid that prioritizes proteins, healthy fats, and dairy while deprioritizing whole grains [2][3][5]. A critical technical component of the new law is a specific exemption for fluid milk from the requirement that saturated fats comprise less than 10% of total calories in school meals [6][7]. This legislative carve-out effectively categorizes milk fat as a distinct nutritional entity within federal calculations, allowing schools to serve full-fat dairy without violating broader macronutrient limits [2][7].

Administration Stance and Public Messaging

Administration officials have aggressively championed this shift, arguing that previous guidelines deprived children of essential nutrients necessary for development [1]. FDA Director Marty Makary stated that schools no longer need to “tiptoe around fat and dairy,” noting that while the 10% saturated fat limit remains in guidance, the administration is actively encouraging the consumption of full-fat options [2]. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who was confirmed in January 2025, has been a vocal proponent of the policy, citing her own upbringing on whole milk as evidence of its nutritional validity during her confirmation hearings [1]. To promote the regulatory shift, the USDA launched a marketing campaign earlier this week featuring President Trump with a milk mustache, reviving the aesthetic of the famous “Got Milk?” advertisements to encourage consumption [3].

Bipartisan Consensus and Implementation

Despite the typically polarized political climate, the return of whole milk secured unanimous approval from Congress in late 2025 [3][6]. The legislation was introduced by Senator Roger Marshall and garnered support across the aisle, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer touting the bill as essential for the agricultural economy, particularly for dairy producers in Upstate New York [1][7]. Beyond the fat content adjustments, the law introduces administrative flexibility for families; parents may now provide a written statement to substitute milk for children with dietary restrictions, removing the previous regulatory burden that required a doctor’s note for such accommodations [3][7]. This enactment represents a significant victory for the dairy sector, which saw milk consumption rise in 2024 for the first time after years of decline, and now regains full access to the institutional school lunch market [6].

Sources

Deregulation Dairy Industry