School Nutrition Standards – Milk
Under the latest USDA policy changes (including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025), schools participating in the National School Lunch Program may choose to offer a range of fluid milk options that meet federal meal requirements.
These include: Whole milk (full-fat), Reduced-fat milk (2%), Low-fat milk (1%), Fat-free milk (skim), Lactose-free and lactose-reduced milks, Flavored or unflavored varieties of the above, as allowed by added-sugar limits and nutrition standards.
Flavored Milk
Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids drink more when it’s flavored. Milk’s nutrition only helps students grow if they drink it.
Flavored Milk in Schools is Not the Same as What’s at the Store
Milk processors have worked for decades to make school flavored milk better for kids. Sugar content in school flavored milk is significantly lower than that found in grocery store chocolate milk and still tastes great! In fact, school flavored milk contributes only 4% of added sugar to children’s diets while carbonated soda and fruit drinks contribute 45% without the nutritional benefit.
