Latest news with #FreedominSchoolCafeteriasandLunches
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bipartisan senators unveil measure providing flexibility in school lunch milk options
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan senators unveil measure providing flexibility in school lunch milk options
A bipartisan trio in the Senate unveiled a proposal on Wednesday to require schools to offer non-dairy 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.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pa. Senator calls for flexible milk options in school
(WKBN) – Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is among those introducing a bill to give schools more flexibility in the beverages they serve to students. The Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act is a bipartisan bill that would allow schools to serve alternative beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to dairy milk for students who are lactose intolerant or may have other disabilities. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requires students to have milk on their trays for the school to be reimbursed for the meal. If a child wants an alternative, they need to get a note from a doctor or a parent, but schools may not have a dairy alternative available. According to a news release from Fetterman's office, the FISCAL Act addresses this by allowing the NSLP to easily serve the same dairy alternatives as other federal nutrition assistance programs. 'We need to be doing whatever it takes to make sure our kids are fed in school. 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,' Fetterman said. '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. I hope my colleagues can all agree with that and work with us to get this signed into law this Congress.' The release cites a USDA study that 40 percent of the cartons of milk served in schools are thrown in the garbage, unwanted and unopened. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
