By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Would you like children and teens to be able to easily get plant milk as part of the School Lunch and School Breakfast program? Have you tried to request a vegan substitute for dairy milk for a child attending a public or nonprofit private school? Did the process work for you? What changes would you propose?
If you have thoughts about any of these questions, take a few minutes to submit them to the USDA. They are asking for feedback “on behalf of children who cannot consume, or have difficulty consuming, cow’s milk.” The USDA is especially interested in hearing from parents and guardians who have requested a substitute for cow’s milk.
Comments can be submitted at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FNS-2022-0043-0001 and must be submitted by April 10, 2023.
To read more about what the USDA is asking see: USDA Requests Comments from Stakeholders on New Standards for School Meals