by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are permitted to provide an allowable fluid milk substitute for cow’s milk for children without a disability who cannot drink cow’s milk (for example, for vegan children). Schools are required to provide a substitute for children with medical conditions such as a life-threatening cow’s milk allergy.

Fluid milk substitutes, such as plant milks, must meet specified nutritional standards, be requested in writing by a medical authority or the child’s parent or legal guardian, and the school must cover any expenses that exceed program reimbursements (1).

For a plant milk to be considered an allowable fluid milk substitute for the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, a cup of plant milk must contain at least 276 mg of calcium, 8 grams of protein, 500 IU of vitamin A, 100 IU of vitamin D, 24 mg of magnesium, 222 mg of phosphorus, 349 mg of potassium, 0.44 mg of riboflavin, and 1.1 mcg of vitamin B12. The milk can be flavored or unflavored (1).

We wondered which plant milks meet these standards. The Connecticut State Department of Education has developed a helpful list of products that are acceptable for use in their school lunch programs (2, 3). Note that other brands of acceptable milk may be available in other areas of the country. Some national brands on this list include:

• Pacific Foods Ultra Soy Original Plant-based Beverage quart aseptic container (food service must pour 8-ounce portions)
• Kikkoman Pearl Organic Soymilk Smart Original, Smart Creamy Vanilla, Smart Chocolate, 8 oz aseptic container
• Ripple Plant-based Milk Vanilla or Chocolate, 8 oz aseptic container
• 8^th Continent Soymilk Original or Vanilla half gallon refrigerated container (food service must pour 8-ounce portions)

Silk Soy Original also appears to meet the USDA’s requirements. There may be other acceptable products that are not on this list.

This information may be helpful if you approach a local school to request a fluid milk substitute. At this time, the school is not required to meet your request for a child without a disability. Each school foodservice decides which, if any, allowable fluid milk substitutes it uses. If one product is offered and the student does not accept that product, the school foodservice is not required to offer a different substitute.

References

1. Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture. Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 7 CFR Parts 210, 215, 220, 225, and 226. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-25/pdf/2024-08098.pdf. 2024.
2. Connecticut State Department of Education. Allowable Fluid Milk Substitutes for Non-disability Reasons in the School Nutrition Programs. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Nutrition/NSLP/SpecDiet/Milk_Substitutes_SNP.pdf, revised 2025.
3. Connecticut State Department of Education. List of Acceptable Foods and Beverages. Dairy Alternatives. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/nutrition/hfc/fblist/acceptablefoodslist17.pdf?rev=933d1db3f7914464af4cb93f6f6c81bd&hash=1BBDF40F428A86726549F49683315792. Revised, November 2025.

For more information about school meals see:

USDA Issues Revisions to Child Nutrition Programs

Getting Vegan Food into Schools

Vegan Options in a California School

Vegan Options in Portland, ME School Lunch

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.