In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA introduced new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which include a revised food pyramid. This updated pyramid places a significant emphasis on protein consumption and encourages the intake of full-fat dairy products while urging Americans to limit highly processed foods. These guidelines are expected to have a substantial impact on school nutrition standards, which the USDA establishes based on these recommendations.
The new food pyramid prioritizes animal products such as meat and cheese, advocating for protein to be included in every meal and the incorporation of healthy fats. A typical school breakfast may now include options like fruit, milk, and either cereal or muffins, but some schools may opt for breakfast burritos or sandwiches. Current standards allow schools to serve either grains or meat alternatives, although the latter tends to be more expensive.
Achieving these new dietary goals will pose challenges for many schools. A recent survey conducted by the School Nutrition Association revealed that most school nutrition programs require improved equipment, better infrastructure, and additional trained staff to meet the new standards. Nearly all respondents indicated a need for increased funding to support these changes, according to the association’s spokesperson, Diane Pratt-Heavner.
Transitioning away from highly processed and ready-to-eat meals, which often contain added sugars and salt, will not be simple. Items like mac and cheese, pizza, and packaged sandwiches are staples in many school meal programs. Lori Nelson of the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit promoting scratch cooking in schools, explained that many school kitchens are outdated and designed primarily for reheating food rather than for commercial cooking. “Many schools were built 40-plus years ago, and they were built to reheat food,” she said.
Pratt-Heavner pointed out that many schools are collaborating with food companies to develop recipes that meet the new guidelines while remaining appealing to students. This partnership is essential as schools work to enhance their meal offerings within the limitations of their current facilities.
As schools strive to reduce sugar and salt levels, adjustments to recipes will be necessary, and more meals will need to be prepared from scratch. Pratt-Heavner emphasized that moving from heavily processed items to scratch cooking is a gradual process. “You cannot go from serving heavily processed, heat-and-serve items to scratch cooking immediately,” she stated.
The top of the new food pyramid features animal products, reinforcing the need for protein in school meals. Currently, there is no mandate for schools to include protein in breakfast offerings, a situation that could change following the new guidelines. Schools are required to offer milk with every meal, although students are not obligated to take it. Recent federal legislation has also lifted restrictions on saturated fats in milk, allowing schools to serve whole milk without exceeding fat limits.
Implementing the USDA’s new guidelines will take time. Pratt-Heavner noted that the current school nutrition standards were proposed in February 2023 and finalized in April 2024, with the first menu changes not required until July 2025. The rollout of these changes will include a public comment period, after which final regulations will be drafted and issued.
As schools navigate these new nutrition standards, the emphasis on protein and whole foods may significantly reshape student meal offerings. Nonetheless, the regulatory process will ensure that these changes occur gradually, allowing schools the necessary time to adapt and prepare for the transition ahead.
