by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Faculties that take part within the Nationwide Faculty Lunch Program and Faculty Breakfast Program are permitted to offer an allowable fluid milk substitute for cow’s milk for youngsters and not using a incapacity who can not drink cow’s milk (for instance, for vegan youngsters). Faculties are required to offer an alternative choice to youngsters with medical situations equivalent to a life-threatening cow’s milk allergy.
Fluid milk substitutes, equivalent to plant milks, should meet specified dietary requirements, be requested in writing by a medical authority or the kid’s dad or mum or authorized guardian, and the varsity should cowl any bills that exceed program reimbursements (1).
For a plant milk to be thought-about an allowable fluid milk substitute for the Nationwide Faculty Lunch Program or the Faculty Breakfast Program, a cup of plant milk should comprise at the 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 may be flavored or unflavored (1).
We puzzled which plant milks meet these requirements. The Connecticut State Division of Schooling has developed a useful record of merchandise which might be acceptable to be used of their college lunch packages (2, 3). Observe that different manufacturers of acceptable milk could also be obtainable in different areas of the nation. Some nationwide manufacturers on this record embody:
- Pacific Meals Extremely Soy Authentic Plant-based Beverage quart aseptic container (meals service should pour 8-ounce parts)
- Kikkoman Pearl Natural Soymilk Good Authentic, Good Creamy Vanilla, Good Chocolate, 8 oz aseptic container
- Ripple Plant-based Milk Vanilla or Chocolate, 8 oz aseptic container
- 8th Continent Soymilk Authentic or Vanilla half gallon refrigerated container (meals service should pour 8-ounce parts)
Silk Soy Authentic additionally seems to satisfy the USDA’s necessities. There could also be different acceptable merchandise that aren’t on this record.
This data could also be useful should you strategy a neighborhood college to request a fluid milk substitute. Presently, the varsity isn’t required to satisfy your request for a kid and not using a incapacity. Every college foodservice decides which, if any, allowable fluid milk substitutes it makes use of. If one product is obtainable and the coed doesn’t settle for that product, the varsity foodservice isn’t required to supply a distinct substitute.
References
- Meals and Diet Service, Division of Agriculture. Baby Diet Packages: Meal Patterns Constant With the 2020–2025 Dietary Pointers for Individuals. 7 CFR Elements 210, 215, 220, 225, and 226. https://www.govinfo.gov/content material/pkg/FR-2024-04-25/pdf/2024-08098.pdf. 2024.
- Connecticut State Division of Schooling. Allowable Fluid Milk Substitutes for Non-disability Causes within the Faculty Diet Packages. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Diet/NSLP/SpecDiet/Milk_Substitutes_SNP.pdf, revised 2025.
- Connecticut State Division of Schooling. Record of Acceptable Meals and Drinks. Dairy Alternate options. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/vitamin/hfc/fblist/acceptablefoodslist17.pdf?rev=933d1db3f7914464af4cb93f6f6c81bd&hash=1BBDF40F428A86726549F49683315792. Revised, November 2025.
For extra details about college meals see:
USDA Points Revisions to Baby Diet Packages
Getting Vegan Meals into Faculties
Vegan Choices in a California Faculty
Vegan Choices in Portland, ME Faculty Lunch
The contents of this web site and our different publications, together with The Vegan Journal, usually are not supposed to offer private medical recommendation. Medical recommendation needs to be obtained from a certified well being skilled. We frequently depend upon product and ingredient data from firm statements. It’s unattainable to be 100% certain a couple of assertion, data can change, folks have completely different views, and errors may be made. Please use your finest judgment about whether or not a product is appropriate for you. To make certain, do additional analysis or affirmation by yourself.
