Reducing Kids’ Consumption of Sugar and Salt through Changes in the National School Lunch Program
May 1, 2024
Overview
Thanks to recent action by the Department of Agriculture, school lunches will become more nutritious. As the new federal standards roll out, states can support students’ health by increasing access to free school breakfast and lunch. Eight states have passed Healthy School Meals for All policies, providing comprehensive access to free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income.
School lunches have come a long way, and thanks to recent action by the Department of Agriculture, they will become even more nutritious over the next few years. On April 25, the Department issued a final rule based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 and reflecting community input. The Rule impacts the more than 4.9 billion meals served each year under the federal National School Lunch Program. Phased in over three years, the Rule reduces added sugars and sodium and maintains standards for serving milk and grains.
Recognizing the negative health impact of added sugars, including increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers, the Rule imposes sugar limits for certain products, including breakfast cereals and yogurt, and for all meals served. The Department’s Dietary Guidelines for America recommend that no more than 10 percent of daily calories come from added sugars but currently school breakfasts provide 17 percent of calories from added sugars and school lunches 11 percent. The Rule targets products that contain excess added sugar, which are the most popular among children, but takes a moderate approach to not interfere with palatability of the favorites. The product-based limits will go into effect for the 2025-26 school year and the overall weekly sugar reductions for the 2027-28 school year.
Public health advocates pressured the Department to significantly reduce sodium levels in school breakfast and lunch, advocating for reductions in sodium in lunch by 30 percent and in breakfast by 20 percent. The Centers for Disease Control reports that most people consume too much sodium and that contributes to increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke. But advocates had only modest success as Congress limited the Department’s authority to lower sodium levels below targets set by the Department in 2012, which had not yet been achieved. The new Rule mandates a 15 percent reduction in sodium in lunch and 10 percent in breakfast, matching the 2012 targets, with an extended delay—the sodium standards go into effect for the 2027-28 school year.
The department made no changes to milk standards except those that result from the added sugar limitations, although there was pressure from some stakeholders who wanted to return whole milk to the menu (removed in 2012) and others who wanted to eliminate flavored milks. Schools are still required to offer plain milk at each meal, limited to low- or non-fat milk, disappointing the agriculture industry that advocates for whole milk to return to school meals and despite the House passing the Whole Milk for Health Kids Act late last year. Schools may continue to offer flavored milk if those options meet the new added sugar standards. Most flavored milks, wildly popular with kids, contain more added sugars than the new sugar standards will permit so those products are in for some change before the 2025-26 school year.
Similarly, the Department opted to maintain the current whole grain requirement that at least 80 percent of the weekly grains offered in the school lunch and breakfast programs are whole grain-rich. It is clear by its own words that the Department made a decision many parents make in compromising at the dinner table: “Some whole grain-rich products are not as widely . . . accepted by students as enriched products.” And the Department was mindful of cultural preferences that include enriched grains. Although not enhancing the whole grains requirement, the Department does acknowledge the positive health impact of whole grains and offers Tools for Schools: Serving Whole Grain-Rich.
As the new federal standards roll out, states can support students’ health by increasing access to free school breakfast and lunch. Eight states have passed Healthy School Meals for All policies, providing comprehensive access to free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income. Other states are considering different approaches to expanding access to school meals. And local jurisdictions likewise can expand access, reducing paperwork or other barriers and funding healthy meals for all students. The National School Lunch Program, with its improved nutritional standards, will have a big impact on students’ health, and an even bigger impact if state and local jurisdictions pass laws or adopt policies to increase access to it.
This post was written by Kathi Hoke, J.D., Director, Network for Public Health Law, Eastern Region.
The Network for Public Health Law provides information and technical assistance on issues related to public health. The legal information and assistance provided in this document do not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state.
Support for the Network is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of (and should not be attributed to) RWJF.