U.S. Schools Await Updated Federal Nutrition Standards Following Dietary Guidelines Overhaul

U.S. school districts are reviewing the impact of revised federal dietary guidelines issued in January by the Trump administration. The changes, announced by Health Secretary Robert F. , urge Americans to avoid highly processed foods and prioritize high-quality, nutrient-dense protein at every meal.

These guidelines will inform updated nutrition standards for schools in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Nichole Taylor, supervisor of food and nutrition services at the Great Valley School District in Malvern, Pennsylvania, said students now request meals inspired by social media.

Taylor has worked for a year and a half to incorporate more fresh food prepared from scratch while managing budget limits and labor shortages. She stated that federal and state funding cover staff wages, equipment, food and utilities in her district.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets a reimbursement rate of about $4.60 per meal this year for free lunches in the contiguous 48 states, $4.20 for reduced-price lunches and $0.44 for full-price meals, according to the School Nutrition Association.

Taylor said she supports the nutritional goals but needs adequate funding to meet them. "We want to follow the guidelines, because we are that voice that says, 'No, you can eat healthy and still eat really well,'" Taylor said. The National School Lunch Program fed 30 million children last year.

Mara Fleishman, CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, said shifting away from processed items such as frozen chicken nuggets, which can contain about 35 ingredients, would require districts to use six or seven ingredients for items made from scratch but would add financial, labor and waste considerations.