KENMORE, NY (WKBW) — More than a dozen years after higher-fat milk options were removed from school menus to combat obesity among children, momentum is building to reintroduce whole and 2% milk in U.S. schools.
Federal lawmakers have resurrected bipartisan legislation allowing whole and 2% milk to be served alongside the skim and low-fat varieties mandated since 2012. A U.S. Senate committee recently held a hearing to discuss the proposal.
Kim Roll, the food service director for the Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District, expressed support for bringing whole milk back to lunch menus.
"It would help if they could see what they're getting at home," Roll said. "It's good fats. It's good nutrition. That's what we want to do."
Whole milk was removed from schools in 2012 as part of an effort to reduce saturated fats and high-calorie foods in children's diets. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whole cow's milk is vital for healthy growth and development.
Roll noted that her district has also eliminated artificial colors and additives from meals in an effort to provide healthier options.
"We want to provide healthy nutritious meals to our students throughout the school year," Roll said. "We don’t serve or sell anything with artificial colors, and it's really helping our families."
Republican State Senator George Borrello, who is a sponsor of the bill, underscored the need for simple, nutritious foods in schools.
"We're hoping to push this forward and get whole milk back into our schools," he said. "From our cows to being pasteurized and then served, that’s the kind of thing we need to consider."
Roll highlighted the nutritional needs of students, suggesting that offering whole milk alongside other options could benefit families.
"If whole milk is what my students are used to drinking at home, maybe that's a need nutritionally in their family," Roll said. "If we can offer whole milk next to the 2% and 1% milk, what's the harm?"
Lawmakers hope the bill will be considered once the state budget is approved.
