Getting 2 percent and whole milk back in schools is gaining momentum.
For more than a decade now, Congress has prevented U.S. public schools from serving it to students. However, parents, doctors, and the dairy community are now pushing back. The International Dairy Foods Association shares more about the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act that would change the milk menu in school cafeterias.
So, we know that since these milk options were removed from school meals, that’s whole and 2% milk, children are not drinking as much milk well, they’re not eating their meals with the same level of frequency, they’re not consuming the necessary nutrients that they need. And, as a result, they’re throwing away more food, so we’re seeing an increase of food waste. At the same time, the science around the nutrition of dairy fats has changed dramatically in the last decade. So, we now know for instance, that full fat dairy products like whole milk are actually beneficial to kids, because they lower the risk of heart disease and they lower childhood obesity,” said Matt Herrick.
Herrick says parents are key to making sure this bill passes Congress this year. In a recent poll for Morning Consult, 94 percent of parents say they serve their children whole or 2 percent milk at home because they consider it to be healthy, nutritious, wholesome, and it tastes good.
