by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 allows schools to offer all children “nondairy beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk.” In other words, this act, which was signed into law in January 2026, allows schools to have cartons of soymilk on the lunch line along with cartons of cows’ milk. Schools are not required to offer plant milk and, if they do offer plant milk, the school district is responsible for covering the usually higher cost of plant milks.
A pilot program in New York City was started in May 2026. Through this program, 5 schools offered organic soymilk directly on the lunch line alongside cows’ milk. The pilot was conducted in a partnership between the New York City Office of Food & Nutrition Services (OFNS) and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP) and the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition, including Chilis on Wheels, Coalition for Healthy School Food, Friends of the Earth, and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
The program was well-received with 35.6% of the milk selections being soymilk (1) and will be expanded to 12 schools in Fall 2026.
Reference
- Gingerella B. NYC Public Schools’ soy milk pilot cuts emissions and boosts milk consumption. FoodService Director. https://www.foodservicedirector.com/k-12-schools/nyc-public-schools-soy-milk-pilot-cuts-emissions-and-boosts-milk-consumption. 2026.
For more information about plant milks in school lunch programs see:
USDA Issues Implementation Requirements for Use of Plant Milks in the National School Lunch Program
What are Some of the Brands of Plant Milk that Can Be Used in the National School Lunch Program?