The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a final rule implementing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in January, restoring whole and reduced-fat milk options in school meals.
The rule furthers the president’s “commitment to improving childhood nutrition and supporting America’s dairy farmers by ensuring schools and child nutrition providers can once again offer students nutrient-dense dairy options that align with the latest nutrition science and consumer preference,” the USDA said in a May 8 statement.
“Whole milk and other dairy products provide essential nutrients including protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins A, D, and B12. Whole milk is especially important for young children aged 1 to 10 to support energy needs and brain development.”
The implementation of the rule ensures federal Child Nutrition Programs, such as the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, offer whole and reduced-fat (2 percent) milk to those aged two years and above.
While whole milk contains 3.25 percent milk fat, low-fat milk contains 1 percent, and skimmed milk has less than 0.5 percent milk fat.
In its latest statement, USDA said the department is continuing the process of updating meal standards at schools based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines offer advice regarding what to eat and drink in order to meet nutrition requirements, prevent disease, and improve health.
“President Trump promised to Make America Healthy Again [MAHA], and restoring whole milk to schools is a major step toward delivering on that promise,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said.
Benefits and Risks
The decision by Congress and the Trump administration to back whole milk in schools has been met with resistance.In a Sept. 10, 2025, statement, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine called on the MAHA commission to drop whole milk from its recommendations, citing potential cardiovascular health risks to children.
Children are increasingly exhibiting early signs of high cholesterol, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases. Allowing full-fat whole dairy in school meals will only result in more such health issues, the committee said.
“Instead of addressing real changes to provide healthier school meals, the MAHA Strategy is pushing whole milk at the expense of children’s health,” Neal Barnard, president of the committee, said.
“The federal government should be putting less saturated fat on school lunch trays, not more, and it can do that by making it easier for students to access nondairy beverages and plant-based entrees.”
In a September 2025 post published at the George Mason University College of Public Health, dietary expert Sapna Batheja highlighted that research regarding the health of whole milk shows mixed findings.
Some research indicates that whole milk, which is higher in saturated fats, can raise LDL cholesterol, the post said. LDL cholesterol is also known as the “bad” cholesterol as it can be a risk factor for heart disease. Meanwhile, other research suggests dairy fat may not be harmful as previously believed.
“For most adults, low-fat or fat-free dairy is recommended to limit unhealthy saturated fat while still getting essential nutrients. For children under two, whole milk is generally recommended for brain development, unless otherwise directed by a health care provider,” the post said.
The International Dairy Foods Association supported including whole and reduced-fat milk in federal Child Nutrition Programs in a May 7 statement.
Michael Dykes, president of the association, said that “for too long, federal regulations limited schools’ ability to offer the milk options students prefer and are more likely to drink.”
USDA’s latest update “allows schools to offer flavored and unflavored milk options across all fat levels, helping schools better meet student preferences while improving access to the 13 essential nutrients milk provides in every serving.”