President Trump signed a bill on Wednesday that overturns Obama-era restrictions on whole milk for school children.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve whole and 2% fat milk, a departure from the former standards set by the Obama administration. Previously, schools in the program were required to serve skim and low-fat milk.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, whole milk is a great thing,” Trump said at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, which was attended by dairy farmers and their kids, per the Associated Press.
“With this legislation, schools will finally be able to expand their offerings to include nutritious whole milk,” the president said. “This is the perfect follow-up to the new Real Food pyramid.” The bill includes provisions for parents who prefer non-dairy alternatives, which were previously only allowed with a doctor’s note.
“We’re eliminating that rather ridiculous policy, allowing parents to choose what is best for their child, which is a big move,” Trump said, per Fox News.
The newly passed bill reverses the largely unsuccessful Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by Michelle Obama, which aimed to curtail childhood obesity by reducing calories and fat in school lunches.
The Department of Agriculture shared a photo of President Trump with a milk mustache on X Sunday. The accompanying text said, “The Milk Mustache Is Back. Drink Whole Milk.”
Drink up, America.#DrinkWholeMilk 🥛 pic.twitter.com/eemI31G1wx
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) January 12, 2026
The bill comes just one week after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced major changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), as The Daily Wire previously reported.
The new guidance flipped the food pyramid upside down, advising Americans to eat whole foods, prioritize healthy fats and protein, and limit or avoid ultra-processed foods. Kennedy and Rollins declared the war on “healthy fats,” which included whole milk, was over.
These changes follow RFK’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, which he’s championed since before Trump took office. During a 2024 Fox & Friends interview, RFK was asked what he would do to improve school lunches.
He replied, “I’ll get processed food out of lunches immediately. About half the school lunch program goes to processed food… We’re creating a diabetes problem in our kids, by giving them food that is poison and I’m going to stop that.”
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