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Cost and storage challenges could impact whole milk’s return to school meals

A nutrition educator says several steps are needed for schools to offer whole milk on their menus.

Brianna Henton is the director of youth engagement and outreach with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

“Schools do have the option to put this on their menu today, (but) the USDA still needs to come up with those proposed rules and standards to help support that within the school meal pattern,” she says.

She says only being able to offer whole milk at lunch, and the added logistics of storing an additional refrigerated product, will need to be part of a school’s consideration before making any changes.

“When you think of a school district feeding thousands of kids, even if it’s just a couple pennies more per carton, that’s going to be a big amount of their budget that they’re going to have to consider when offering this,” she shares. “School meals do run on very tight budgets, and every cent really does count.”

Henton says the dairy checkoff plans on supporting food service directors with nutrition education resources as well as supply chain planning for schools.