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President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday restoring whole and 2 percent milk to school lunch programs, reversing nutrition standards that had restricted milk options for more than a decade.
The president signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in the Oval Office, joined by cabinet members, lawmakers and dairy farmers.
“Today, I’m delighted to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law, which is a very important thing for our farmers, and I think maybe more important for our people, the people that drink milk,” President Trump said before signing the measure.
“This is the first bill signing of the new year, and it will ensure that millions of school-age children have access to high-quality milk as we make America healthy again,” he added, thanking Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and members of Congress.
The law rolls back restrictions established under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which limited schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offering only low-fat or nonfat milk.
“As it currently stands, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are only able to offer students low or non-fat milk options,” President Trump said.
“That was changed during the Obama administration. A lot of people disagreed with it at the time,” he added.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced in January 2025 by Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Kim Schrier, D-Wash., along with Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.
“As a pediatrician, I know how important a balanced and nutritious diet is for children’s health, well-being, and development,” said Schrier at the time.
“A healthy diet early in life leads to proper physical growth and improved academic performance, and can set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits. Milk is a significant part of many children’s diets and contains essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. This bill simply gives schools the option of providing the types of milk most kids prefer to drink,” he added.
