Why Flavored Milk Should Be Removed From School Menus
September 30, 2026 | By
Taking flavored milk off the menu can drastically reduce added sugar consumption among students.
Why Do Schools Serve Flavored Milk?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires schools to offer milk to students with every breakfast and lunch they serve to qualify for federal meal reimbursement funding.
This requirement arose in response to widespread malnutrition during the Great Depression and wartime periods in the 1930s and 1940s. Dairy farmers were in crisis at the time, having produced far more milk than consumers could buy. The federal government stepped in to buy the surplus milk from farmers and feed it to malnourished children at school. This temporary relief measure evolved into law when the National School Lunch Program was established in 1946.
Schools eventually began serving flavored milk to encourage kids to drink more and waste less of the milk they were required to serve. By the 1970s and 1980s, flavored milk had become a widespread offering at schools, and it still is half a century later. A 2018 survey found that as many as 80% of schools offer flavored milk on the menu.
Why Do Schools Serve Flavored Milk?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires schools to offer milk to students with every breakfast and lunch they serve to qualify for federal meal reimbursement funding.
This requirement arose in response to widespread malnutrition during the Great Depression and wartime periods in the 1930s and 1940s. Dairy farmers were in crisis at the time, having produced far more milk than consumers could buy. The federal government stepped in to buy the surplus milk from farmers and feed it to malnourished children at school. This temporary relief measure evolved into law when the National School Lunch Program was established in 1946.
Schools eventually began serving flavored milk to encourage kids to drink more and waste less of the milk they were required to serve. By the 1970s and 1980s, flavored milk had become a widespread offering at schools, and it still is half a century later. A 2018 survey found that as many as 80% of schools offer flavored milk on the menu.
As of July 2025, flavored milks served with school meals are required to contain no more than 10 grams of added sugar per eight ounces. While the new limit is an improvement, the sugar in flavored milk still adds up.
The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day. If a student drinks a serving of flavored milk that contains 10 grams of sugar twice a day with breakfast and lunch, they are already consuming 80 percent of their recommended daily sugar intake — and the equivalent of 92 cans of soda a year.
With added sugars proliferating in other school menu items and a la carte offerings, and when you take into account what a student might eat before and after school, it’s easy for kids to regularly consume much more added sugar than recommended. Consuming too much added sugar puts kids at risk for type 2 diabetes and early heart disease.
As of July 2025, flavored milks served with school meals are required to contain no more than 10 grams of added sugar per eight ounces. While the new limit is an improvement, the sugar in flavored milk still adds up.
The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day. If a student drinks a serving of flavored milk that contains 10 grams of sugar twice a day with breakfast and lunch, they are already consuming 80 percent of their recommended daily sugar intake — and the equivalent of 92 cans of soda a year.
With added sugars proliferating in other school menu items and a la carte offerings, and when you take into account what a student might eat before and after school, it’s easy for kids to regularly consume much more added sugar than recommended. Consuming too much added sugar puts kids at risk for type 2 diabetes and early heart disease.
