School meals face cost pressures |
School districts across the U.S. are preparing for potential changes to cafeteria menus after the Trump administration introduced new dietary guidelines tied to the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, initiative. The updated standards, championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encourage Americans to avoid highly processed foods and prioritize nutrient-dense proteins, changes that are expected to eventually influence federal school meal requirements. Nutrition directors and education advocates said the shift could significantly increase costs for schools that already operate on tight budgets. Many cafeterias currently rely on processed, premade foods because they are cheaper, easier to prepare, and require less labor. Transitioning toward more fresh, scratch-cooked meals would require additional funding, kitchen upgrades, and more skilled staff. School nutrition experts said protein is already the most expensive part of a school meal, while federal reimbursement rates remain insufficient to cover rising labor, utility, and food costs. Many districts are also facing the loss of federal programs that helped schools purchase food from local farmers, including the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.
