Creating a nutritious school meal is a complex task.
“It resembles a puzzle,” explained Lori Nelson from the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting freshly prepared meals in schools.
“When considering the guidelines, there are numerous requirements that must be addressed. Schools must adhere to calorie minimums and maximums for both daily and weekly meals, in addition to meeting various vegetable subgroup categories.”
Schools receiving federal funding for meal programs, such as through the National School Lunch Program, are required to adhere to guidelines set by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
These regulations may soon undergo changes.
In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA introduced new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, along with an updated food pyramid.
The USDA bases its nutrition standards for schools on these dietary guidelines, which now highlight the importance of protein, promote the consumption of full-fat dairy products, and advocate for a reduction in highly processed foods.
Here’s what you need to know about how the new food pyramid may affect schools:
Reducing ready-to-eat meals won’t be straightforward
Highly processed foods often contain added sugars and salt, including menu staples like mac and cheese, pizza, French fries, and pre-packaged lunch items.
Many schools rely on these foods due to inadequate kitchen infrastructure necessary for preparing scratch-made meals, according to Nelson.
“Many school facilities, constructed over 40 years ago, were designed for reheating food and are not equipped as commercial kitchens,” stated Nelson.
Nevertheless, schools have successfully reduced sodium and sugar levels in recent years.
“Collaborating with food companies, they have sought to find common ground—developing recipes that meet current standards while also appealing to students, given the equipment they possess,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner from the School Nutrition Association.
Further reducing sugar and salt levels will likely demand adaptations from food companies and an increase in on-site meal preparation, Pratt-Heavner expressed.
However, fully embracing scratch cooking poses challenges. A recent School Nutrition Association survey indicated that most school nutrition programs require improved equipment, better infrastructure, and more trained staff—almost all respondents also noted a need for increased funding. “Transitioning from heavily processed items to scratch cooking cannot happen overnight,” Nelson said. “It’s a process.”
Protein-rich meals will come with higher costs
The revised food pyramid prioritizes animal products like meat and cheese at its apex, reflecting a focus on incorporating protein into every meal alongside healthy fats.
“This may result in alterations to school breakfast standards,” Pratt-Heavner mentioned. “Currently, there’s no requirement for protein to be included in breakfasts.”
Typical school breakfasts often feature fruit, milk, and cereal cups or muffins; some offer breakfast burritos or sandwiches.
Additional funding will be essential if schools are mandated to provide protein under the USDA’s School Breakfast Program.
Current standards allow schools to serve either grains or meats/meat alternates during breakfast, although Pratt-Heavner highlighted that “protein options are considerably more expensive than grain alternatives.”
It remains uncertain whether the USDA will require protein as a distinct category, or if the agency will consider milk sufficient to fulfill the new protein requirements.
The spotlight is on whole milk
In schools involved in federal meal programs, milk must accompany every meal, although students are not obligated to take it. A prior Obama-era regulation limited school offerings to low-fat and nonfat milk.
However, the updated food pyramid promotes whole-fat dairy, such as whole milk. Recent federal legislation has repealed that Obama-era regulation, now permitting schools to serve reduced-fat and full-fat milk.
Additionally, federal regulations restrict saturated fats in school meals; whole milk contains higher levels compared to low-fat and nonfat options. The recent legislation exempts milk fat from these restrictions.
This means that schools can now serve whole milk without exceeding saturated fat limits.
Implementing these changes will take time
As the USDA establishes regulations based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it often requires time to draft and execute new rules after guidelines are issued.
“The school nutrition standards currently in use were suggested in February 2023 and finalized by April 2024,” Pratt-Heavner pointed out. “The first required menu updates in school cafeterias won’t occur until July 2025, and other changes are still forthcoming.”
This indicates that the new dietary guidelines won’t lead to immediate alterations in school cafeterias; instead, they mark the initial phase of a regulatory process that will take time.
“We must wait to see what the USDA proposes,” Pratt-Heavner remarked.
Following that, “the public will provide feedback on the regulations, leading to the final drafting and publication of the rules.”
Ultimately, the USDA will allocate time for schools and food companies to update their recipes in accordance with the new nutrition standards.
