Latest news with #WholeMilkforHealthyKidsAct
Epoch Times
19-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Milk, Science, and School Lunches: A Battle Over What Kids Eat
Lawmakers are pushing to bring whole milk back to school cafeterias after it was banned in 2012. It's a battle years in the making, but milk may be the wrong fight. Children face a deeper problem: a school food system shaped less by health than by cost, convenience, and supply chains. While Congress argues over fat percentages, cafeterias remain dominated by processed, prepackaged meals that meet regulations but fail to meet nutritional ideals. Meanwhile, kids are having their taste buds educated by cheap, easy processed foods that are hard to resist, even as rates of chronic diseases once reserved for the elderly balloon among children. The milk debate might be overblown, but it reveals the fault lines in a nutritional battleground that may finally be making some progress in the right direction. And that's important. Nearly one in five American children is obese. More than 40 percent live with at least one chronic illness. An estimated 20 million could be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The health of our children and our nation's future is in crisis. When Milk Policy Reveals a Bigger Problem The 'Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act,' led by Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, would Related Stories 3/2/2025 11/13/2024 'Whole milk is one of the most nutritious drinks known to mankind,' Marshall, a physician and former dairy farmer, told The Epoch Times. On paper, the change may seem marginal. Whole milk contains about 3.25 percent milk fat, compared to the zero to 1 percent in current school-approved options. But under federal meal standards, that margin has been enough to keep it off lunch trays. The original restrictions were rooted in decades-old dietary guidance focused on lowering saturated fat. Though slightly relaxed in 2017 to allow some flavored 1 percent milk, the core ban on whole and 2 percent milk stayed in place. The ban reflected a larger dietary fissure that saw food makers limit fat while increasing added sugars. While fat reduction goals were reached, Americans and their children became fatter. This dynamic played out viscerally in America's schools. The Chocolate Milk Exception Few foods illustrate the contradictions in school nutrition policy more than chocolate milk. Whole and 2 percent milk were banned for fat content, yet sugary skim and low-fat chocolate milk remain widely available. Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford and former member of the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, said that dynamic was 'really backwards.' 'I would be in support of banning any kind of chocolate milk, and allowing whole milk to be added back,' he told The Epoch Times in an email, though he had other reservations. To Marshall, the logic defies common sense. 'It's hypocrisy,' he said. 'It's not well thought through.' A 2021 In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture For many students, the choice between sweetened milk and watery skim or 1 percent wasn't much of a choice at all. For those who can't—or don't—consume dairy, there often isn't any option at all. Schools currently require a doctor's note to offer reimbursable plant-based milks like soy or oat. Proposed Offering choices resonates with school nutrition director Krista Byler, who remembered the fallout when whole milk was first removed from her district's menus in 2012. 'Milk was leaking all over the place. We had to give students buckets to pour out what they weren't drinking,' she told The Epoch Times. 'When I saw it for the first time, I felt sick. And this was happening while dairy farms all around us were shutting down.' Later, when her district was allowed to pilot whole and 2 percent milk again, she saw the change firsthand: milk consumption rose by 50 percent, and waste dropped by 95 percent. 'That's what happens when kids are given choices they actually want,' she said. Her experience echoes a national pattern. A 2021 A Nutrition Debate or Distraction? The chocolate milk paradox reflects a broader nutrition debate that began in the 1970s and 80s, when fat was vilified and manufacturers compensated by adding sugar to processed foods to make them more appealing. Fat went down, sugar went up, and Americans stayed in caloric overload, even as ultra-processed, ready-to-eat foods became the norm. That legacy lingers. The debate over milk reflects how slowly nutrition policy adjusts to new science, and how easily it fixates on single ingredients or items over broader dietary patterns. For decades, federal guidelines pushed low-fat milk to reduce saturated fat and protect heart health. However, newer 'The body of credible nutrition science has evolved and no longer supports a policy of allowing only fat-free and low-fat milk in schools,' Keith Ayoob, a pediatric nutrition specialist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, He and others point to the 'dairy matrix'—the natural structure of proteins and fats in milk and yogurt—as a reason dairy fat may behave differently in the body than other sources of saturated fat. Not everyone agrees that the evidence is strong enough to change course. The 'Allowing whole milk in school meals would be inconsistent with science-based standards,' the AHA told The Epoch Times in an email, 'and would undermine the progress made in improving the nutritional quality of school meals.' Gardner takes a middle ground. 'Dairy is one of the main contributors to saturated fat,' he said. 'But actually, whole milk is not a major contributor.' If the choice is between sugary flavored milk or whole milk, he'd choose the latter. He points to other dairy-based foods as larger contributors to saturated fat in children's diets. 'At the same time, I'd like to see the amount of cheese in school limited—especially in pizza and burritos—and the amount of ice cream limited,' Gardner said. Ice cream isn't part of reimbursable meals but is often sold à la carte, he noted. Is Milk the Right Nutritional Anchor? Milk has long been a staple in school nutrition, offering protein, calcium, and other key nutrients in a single serving. That nutritional density helped cement its status on the tray. It's also filling. 'The protein content helps produce some satiety,' Corkins said. 'That helps prevent overeating.' However, the idea that milk is essential to every child's diet is beginning to fade. 'For many years, milk was considered a basic ingredient,' said Corkins. 'Now this is not an accepted fact, and parents regularly give their children alternative beverages.' Some experts argue that low-fat milk, once promoted for weight control, may backfire. In a 2013 JAMA Pediatrics They also noted that key vitamins in milk, like A and D, are fat-soluble and may be less absorbable in reduced-fat versions. Others question whether schools rely too heavily on milk to deliver those nutrients in the first place. 'There are many sources of calcium in the diet, including dark green leafy veggies, tofu, beans, and fortified plant milks,' Gardner said. As for vitamin D, 'I want those kids to be getting a healthy dose of sunshine most days of the year.' To Gardner, the real issue is how much weight milk carries in the broader conversation. 'I'd say restricting soda consumption would be more important than making whole milk available,' he said. The Rest of the Tray Walk through a typical school cafeteria and you'll likely see trays filled with prepackaged chicken nuggets, reheated pizza, and flavored yogurts. These meals meet federal nutrition standards not because they're fresh, but because they hit targets for calories, fat, and sodium. A 2025 To qualify for reimbursement, meals must follow federal rules, providing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and milk, while staying under calorie and sodium caps. However, meeting the numbers doesn't guarantee meaningful nourishment. Ultra-processed foods can check the boxes while remaining high in additives and low in quality. Kids don't just eat these foods, they learn to crave them. That makes school choices harder. Even plain whole milk may lose out next to chocolate milk. While schools debate which milk to serve, many children are already wired for ultra-processed options. To Marshall, that's the bigger issue. 'Sixty to seventy percent of our calories now come from packaged food,' he said. 'It's not a good thing, especially in school lunches.' The Cost of Convenience Part of the reason processed foods dominate school lunches—and American pantries—is cost and convenience. Nutrition directors are expected to feed students on razor-thin budgets. The federal reimbursement— It's cheaper to heat frozen pizza than prepare a fresh stir-fry. And once processed foods are built into school procurement systems, sourced from national vendors, packaged to USDA specs, and delivered on tight schedules, they're hard to replace. Just as not every family has a quality grocery store nearby or a parent with extra time to cook, not every school has the staff or kitchen to cook from scratch. Not every supplier offers whole or reduced-fat milk. Even a two-cent increase per milk carton can stretch a district's budget, Byler told The Epoch Times. However, some argue the issue isn't funding—it's priorities. 'The country is spending $11 billion a year on SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] for sugary sodas,' said Marshall. 'What if we used that money for healthy food choices instead?' In that way, schools operate much like households, choosing what's manageable now, even if the long-term costs to health and learning are harder to see. Advocates say the return on investment is there, but the system doesn't always allow schools to think that far ahead. A Moment for More Than Milk With new federal dietary guidelines set to be released later this year, and political winds shifting the national conversation, the timing may be right for something more than a milk fight. 'Why are we messing around here?' Byler asked. 'This is our future that we're feeding.'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Whole Milk Could Soon Return to School Cafeteria Menus
A bipartisan bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, aims to reintroduce whole and 2% milk to school lunch programs, challenging long-standing USDA guidelines. Supporters, including lawmakers and some nutrition experts, argue that full-fat milk offers essential nutrients and may even reduce childhood obesity. The bill excludes milk fat from saturated fat limits in school meals and has sparked debate over evolving science and dietary recommendations for children.A key item on the school lunch menu may change due to a surprising bipartisan effort. In early April, lawmakers revived the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which was passed in the United States House in 2023. The bill, as the Associated Press explained, will expand milk options in schools to include skim, low-fat, 2%, and whole milk if it passes in the Senate. 'Kids need wholesome, nourishing food to grow strong and stay healthy, and whole milk is packed with the nutrients they need,' John Fetterman, a Democrat Senator from Pennsylvania and a co-sponsor of the legislation, shared with reporters. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who introduced the Senate bill, stated in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing, "I think about whole milk growing up, where my grandparents delivered milk to us two or three times a week, and it was just part of our diet … and how important whole milk is… the Make America Healthy Again movement, it's about whole foods. And I think we could characterize whole milk as part of that MAHA movement, as well.' The bill also has the support of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who tweeted in March that his team is "encouraging programs to switch from low-fat dairy – which the antiquated Dietary Guidelines require them to promote — to full-fat/whole milk." And if you take a peek at the bill's co-sponsors, you'll see a healthy mix of Rs and Ds throughout. Here's what you need to know about the bill and what experts say about milk choices in school. The bill states that it intends to modify the United States Department of Agriculture's current regulations requiring milk to be fat-free or low-fat and "allow milk to be flavored or unflavored." It adds, "The bill modifies these restrictions and instead permits schools to offer students whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk. The milk that is offered may be organic or non-organic. Further, USDA may not prohibit a school participating in the program from offering students any of these milk choices." Related: Why Is Social Media Telling Us It's OK to Drink Raw Milk? The bill states that the current USDA regulations require that "the average saturated fat content of the meals offered must be less than 10% of the total calories" in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). However, with this new bill, "fluid milk is excluded from the saturated fat content calculation; milk fat included in any fluid milk provided by the program must not be considered saturated fat for the purposes of measuring compliance with USDA regulations." As the Center for Science in the Public Interest explained, whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk were removed from the menu in 2012 to align with the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which aim to limit saturated fat consumption among children. The organization also referenced the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which found "strong evidence" that diets lower in saturated fat and cholesterol during childhood "result in lower levels of LDL cholesterol." It also stated that two critical childhood nutrition groups, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, advocate for low-fat and fat-free milk as the preferred drink for kids. Additionally, the USDA has recommended since 1985 that children over the age of 2 consume only low-fat or fat-free dairy. However, a 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies conducted by the University of Toronto found that children who drank whole milk had 40% lower odds of being overweight or obese compared to those who consumed reduced-fat milk, indicating that the science is mixed on this particular subject. Skim milk, also known as fat-free milk, contains less than 0.5% milkfat, while low-fat milk has 1% milkfat, and reduced-fat milk, also referred to as 2% milk, contains 2% milkfat. "The percentage on your milk container is the amount of fat in the milk by weight," the National Dairy Council explained, adding that "whole milk is about 3.5% fat, and it's the closest to the way it comes out of the cow." Related: Here's the Actual Difference Between Whole, Low-fat, and Nonfat Milk Beyond fat percentages, the different types of milk also have varying calorie counts (the higher the fat, the higher the calories). This also affects the texture and taste of the milk. As you likely know, more fat contributes to that delicious factor and provides a creamier texture. Interestingly, the protein content of skim, low-fat, 2%, and whole milk is identical — approximately eight grams per serving — while the calcium content also remains consistent at 30% of your daily serving. "While the fat content in milk may vary, you can feel good knowing that all cow's milk contains the same 13 essential nutrients," the National Dairy Council added. "This is true whether the milk is lactose-free, flavored, or organic." According to several nutrition experts, this bill may indeed be a great idea and a good way to get kids the nutrition they need. "I believe that full-fat milk is a healthy option for kids. This is especially true among active kids who need steady energy," shared Catherine Gervacio, a registered dietitian and certified exercise nutrition coach. Gervacio noted that full-fat milk provides calcium, vitamin D, and protein, stating, "All these nutrients are key for strong bones and overall development." Tanvi Dalal, a Registered Dietitian and the founder of WellNest Nutrition, concurred, adding, "Full-fat milk should be part of school lunch programs because it can be part of a balanced diet for children." Dalal also pointed out the hypocrisy in the USDA's current guidelines that "ban whole milk but allow skim and low-fat chocolate and other flavored milks sweetened with added sugars, which is significantly worse." Related: Why Some Milk Doesn't Need to Be Refrigerated Both experts also highlight that whole milk aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including A, D, E, and K, which are critical to child notes that while whole milk is nutrient-dense and some scientific evidence supports its benefits regarding saturated fat content, additional factors must be considered for school nutrition programs, including the "children's dietary needs, overall fat intake, physical activity levels, and what percentage are lactose intolerant. We need more large-scale, long-term studies to determine the optimal dairy fat intake for children. In the meantime, offering both whole and low-fat milk could provide flexibility while aligning with evolving research." Read the original article on Food & Wine
Fox News
03-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Fox News
Sports Illustrated model combats ultra-processed food, shares key to longevity
'FOLLOW YOUR GUT' – Sports Illustrated model Kristen Louelle Gaffney told Fox News Digital why she supports the MAHA movement and how she is fighting the battle against ultra-processed food. 'DOES A BODY GOOD' – The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, discussing bringing back whole and reduced-fat milk back into schools after a ban was put in place nearly 15 years ago. ANCIENT FIND – A child discovered a 3,800-year-old Canaanite amulet during a family trip last month. GET SOME R&R – From knitting, puzzles to at-home spa nights and yoga, get everything you need to relax indoors. Continue reading… CALLING ALL CROSSWORD PUZZLE LOVERS! – Play our Fox News daily crossword puzzle for free here! And not just one — check out the multiple offerings. See the puzzles... Fox News FirstFox News Opinion
CNN
03-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
Whole milk: Why lawmakers want it back in schools
Summary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to return whole milk to schools. Current guidelines restrict schools to serving low-fat or fat-free milk, with few exceptions. The bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would allow higher-fat milks in school meal programs. Some experts argue dairy fat may have metabolic benefits and doesn't increase cardiovascular disease risk. Critics worry this focus diverts attention from ultraprocessed foods and cuts to school food programs. More than a decade after the Obama-era move to generally prohibit whole and 2% milk in schools as part of an effort to lower rates of obesity among children, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some lawmakers are arguing for the beverage's return. Kennedy, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, recently called the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans 'antiquated' and said he's pushing Head Start programs to switch from low-fat dairy to full-fat dairy, including whole milk. The US Senate has also taken up the cause, with the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry holding a hearing Tuesday on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. The measure would allow higher-fat milks in school meal programs, in addition to fat-free (skim) and low-fat milk already required to be available for children over age 2. There's a corresponding bill in the US House of Representatives. Both bills were introduced by Republican lawmakers in January but have bipartisan support. 'I think about whole milk growing up, where my grandparents delivered milk to us two or three times a week, and it was just part of our diet … and how important whole milk is,' Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, who introduced the Senate bill, said in the hearing. 'The Make America Healthy Again movement, it's about whole foods. And I think we could characterize whole milk as part of that MAHA movement, as well.' The National Milk Producers Federation said it looks forward to working with lawmakers to get the legislation passed, saying it could increase student milk consumption, according to a news release. Here's what experts say about higher-fat milks and children's health. The federal government plays a key role in what kids across the country are served for breakfast and lunch at school, and it can change based on shifts in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Every five years, HHS and the US Department of Agriculture update the guidelines, which have recommended low- or fat-free dairy for those older than 2 for more than 40 years. The National School Lunch Program, which provides low-cost or free meals for students, is required to meet those guidelines in its regulations. In an effort to reduce obesity and other health conditions among children, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010. It required schools to serve meals with less fat, sugar and sodium, and more protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. As a result, the National School Lunch Program restricted milk options to flavored and unflavored skim and low-fat milk, effectively banning whole milk, with exceptions for children with proper documentation of certain medical situations, said Amy Reed, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 'If the child was underweight, the school would have to provide the higher-calorie milk,' Reed said. Similarly, for children with milk allergies, schools must provide an alternative milk. These federal policies are centered around concerns about saturated fat, the consumption of which has been linked with cardiovascular disease and obesity. Regardless of the differences in calories and fat, higher- and lower-fat milks have similar nutrient profiles, Reed said. Whole milk has 3.25% to 3.5% milk fat, compared with 1% or 2% in low-fat milk and 0.5% in fat-free milk, according to the American Heart Association. 'All milk is fortified with vitamin D, and the vitamin D and the calcium work together to help with bone strength and help increase the absorption of both,' Reed added. 'There's also some presence of potassium and magnesium phosphorus, which are all other minerals known for bone health. The potassium and sodium can be thought to be working together to help with blood pressure when you're talking about adults.' As the dietary guidelines are being revised this year for the 2025-30 edition, the advisory committee has reviewed research on milk and human health and recommended sticking with the current guidance. 'There's evidence to show that the (Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) really did improve the quality of food that was provided to kids,' Reed said. The dietary guidelines committee found limited evidence that higher-fat milk may be associated with health benefits for growth, body composition and obesity risk among children ages 2 through 5. However, even though the committee said it didn't find benefit or harm for older people, it also said it couldn't draw conclusions due to 'substantial concerns' about existing research — and that the evidence wasn't sufficient to advise changing the current guidelines. The continuing recommendation from the federal government that full-fat dairy be avoided is a 'very strange conclusion to me,' said cardiologist Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston. 'Expecting to prove a negative is a strange precedent.' 'We regulate saturated fat as a monolith, as though it's all the same, but it's not,' he added. 'Different types of saturated fats have different molecular structures.' Some studies have found that dairy fat is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which may have metabolic benefits in terms of improvement of type 2 diabetes, Mozaffarian said. There have also been studies linking consumption of dairy fat to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But that doesn't mean all full-fat dairy products will reduce risk; some, such as milk and yogurt, have a neutral relationship to the disease. 'I think it's actually strongly evidence-based to let whole milk not only get back to schools but get back on the tables and in glasses of Americans — not just whole milk but [also] whole-fat yogurt and whole-fat cheese,' Mozaffarian said. 'Not only is dairy fat not linked to any negative outcomes; dairy fat [is] also actually observationally linked to low risk of diabetes.' Related video Eggs will be expensive for a long time. Here's the substitute you never thought of Additionally, in the absence of whole milk, some children dislike the flavor of plain lower-fat milks and opt for chocolate- or strawberry-flavored lower-fat milks, which have more sugar, experts said. Regardless of the type of fat children consume, Mozaffarian and Reed urged the importance of considering the overall diet, rather than individual ingredients. Like adults, children should have a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats. That's why Mozaffarian's concerned about the lack of attention to ultraprocessed foods in schools and the federal government's significant cuts to programs supplying fresh food to schools and food banks across the nation — while lawmakers consider legislation that would require higher-fat milks in schools for what they say are health reasons. 'We need more dollars to pay for healthy food for kids,' Mozaffarian said. 'We're giving kids the cheapest possible food in school and then paying for it 10 times over in health care spending. That's just shortsighted. 'We should be doubling, tripling our investments in healthy food across the country, including schools.'
CNN
03-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
Whole milk: Why lawmakers want it back in schools
Summary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to return whole milk to schools. Current guidelines restrict schools to serving low-fat or fat-free milk, with few exceptions. The bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would allow higher-fat milks in school meal programs. Some experts argue dairy fat may have metabolic benefits and doesn't increase cardiovascular disease risk. Critics worry this focus diverts attention from ultraprocessed foods and cuts to school food programs. More than a decade after the Obama-era move to generally prohibit whole and 2% milk in schools as part of an effort to lower rates of obesity among children, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some lawmakers are arguing for the beverage's return. Kennedy, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, recently called the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans 'antiquated' and said he's pushing Head Start programs to switch from low-fat dairy to full-fat dairy, including whole milk. The US Senate has also taken up the cause, with the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry holding a hearing Tuesday on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. The measure would allow higher-fat milks in school meal programs, in addition to fat-free (skim) and low-fat milk already required to be available for children over age 2. There's a corresponding bill in the US House of Representatives. Both bills were introduced by Republican lawmakers in January but have bipartisan support. 'I think about whole milk growing up, where my grandparents delivered milk to us two or three times a week, and it was just part of our diet … and how important whole milk is,' Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, who introduced the Senate bill, said in the hearing. 'The Make America Healthy Again movement, it's about whole foods. And I think we could characterize whole milk as part of that MAHA movement, as well.' The National Milk Producers Federation said it looks forward to working with lawmakers to get the legislation passed, saying it could increase student milk consumption, according to a news release. Here's what experts say about higher-fat milks and children's health. The federal government plays a key role in what kids across the country are served for breakfast and lunch at school, and it can change based on shifts in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Every five years, HHS and the US Department of Agriculture update the guidelines, which have recommended low- or fat-free dairy for those older than 2 for more than 40 years. The National School Lunch Program, which provides low-cost or free meals for students, is required to meet those guidelines in its regulations. In an effort to reduce obesity and other health conditions among children, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010. It required schools to serve meals with less fat, sugar and sodium, and more protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. As a result, the National School Lunch Program restricted milk options to flavored and unflavored skim and low-fat milk, effectively banning whole milk, with exceptions for children with proper documentation of certain medical situations, said Amy Reed, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 'If the child was underweight, the school would have to provide the higher-calorie milk,' Reed said. Similarly, for children with milk allergies, schools must provide an alternative milk. These federal policies are centered around concerns about saturated fat, the consumption of which has been linked with cardiovascular disease and obesity. Regardless of the differences in calories and fat, higher- and lower-fat milks have similar nutrient profiles, Reed said. Whole milk has 3.25% to 3.5% milk fat, compared with 1% or 2% in low-fat milk and 0.5% in fat-free milk, according to the American Heart Association. 'All milk is fortified with vitamin D, and the vitamin D and the calcium work together to help with bone strength and help increase the absorption of both,' Reed added. 'There's also some presence of potassium and magnesium phosphorus, which are all other minerals known for bone health. The potassium and sodium can be thought to be working together to help with blood pressure when you're talking about adults.' As the dietary guidelines are being revised this year for the 2025-30 edition, the advisory committee has reviewed research on milk and human health and recommended sticking with the current guidance. 'There's evidence to show that the (Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) really did improve the quality of food that was provided to kids,' Reed said. The dietary guidelines committee found limited evidence that higher-fat milk may be associated with health benefits for growth, body composition and obesity risk among children ages 2 through 5. However, even though the committee said it didn't find benefit or harm for older people, it also said it couldn't draw conclusions due to 'substantial concerns' about existing research — and that the evidence wasn't sufficient to advise changing the current guidelines. The continuing recommendation from the federal government that full-fat dairy be avoided is a 'very strange conclusion to me,' said cardiologist Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston. 'Expecting to prove a negative is a strange precedent.' 'We regulate saturated fat as a monolith, as though it's all the same, but it's not,' he added. 'Different types of saturated fats have different molecular structures.' Some studies have found that dairy fat is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which may have metabolic benefits in terms of improvement of type 2 diabetes, Mozaffarian said. There have also been studies linking consumption of dairy fat to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But that doesn't mean all full-fat dairy products will reduce risk; some, such as milk and yogurt, have a neutral relationship to the disease. 'I think it's actually strongly evidence-based to let whole milk not only get back to schools but get back on the tables and in glasses of Americans — not just whole milk but [also] whole-fat yogurt and whole-fat cheese,' Mozaffarian said. 'Not only is dairy fat not linked to any negative outcomes; dairy fat [is] also actually observationally linked to low risk of diabetes.' Related video Eggs will be expensive for a long time. Here's the substitute you never thought of Additionally, in the absence of whole milk, some children dislike the flavor of plain lower-fat milks and opt for chocolate- or strawberry-flavored lower-fat milks, which have more sugar, experts said. Regardless of the type of fat children consume, Mozaffarian and Reed urged the importance of considering the overall diet, rather than individual ingredients. Like adults, children should have a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats. That's why Mozaffarian's concerned about the lack of attention to ultraprocessed foods in schools and the federal government's significant cuts to programs supplying fresh food to schools and food banks across the nation — while lawmakers consider legislation that would require higher-fat milks in schools for what they say are health reasons. 'We need more dollars to pay for healthy food for kids,' Mozaffarian said. 'We're giving kids the cheapest possible food in school and then paying for it 10 times over in health care spending. That's just shortsighted. 'We should be doubling, tripling our investments in healthy food across the country, including schools.'
