A bipartisan trio in the Senate unveiled a proposal Wednesday to require schools to offer nondairy milk options at lunch to accommodate students who are lactose intolerant or have other dietary restrictions.
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has long required school lunches to include milk on all trays in order for schools to be reimbursed for the meals.
But the Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act — introduced by Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) — would update the legislation to require schools to also offer students “plant-based milk” that is “consistent with nutritional standards established by the Secretary.”
“We need to be doing whatever it takes to make sure our kids are fed in school,” Fetterman said in a statement. “This bipartisan bill cuts the unnecessary red tape in our nutrition assistance programs so students can access meals that work for them and their dietary needs.”
Booker said the bill also seeks to remedy inequity in the school lunch program, noting many people of color are lactose intolerant and are deprived of some nutrition that other students might get through milk at lunch.
“Most of this nation’s children of color are lactose intolerant, and yet our school lunch program policy makes it difficult for these kids to access a nutritious fluid beverage that doesn’t make them sick,” Booker said in a statement. “This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will bring greater equity to the lunchroom, by giving students the option to choose a nutritious milk substitute that meets their dietary needs.”
The senators also touted the legislation as fiscally sound, pointing to data indicating 40 percent of milk cartons at lunches get discarded without even being opened.
“There are over 30 million food-insecure children in this country, yet current school lunch policies waste $400 million worth of food each year. Feeding our kids and keeping them healthy isn’t a red or blue issue,” Fetterman said.
