As a new school year begins, students will soon fill not only classrooms but also cafeterias. Earlier, Albuquerque Public Schools announced it will prepare 51% of meals from scratch this year. As the district expands its fresh meal program, advocates are urging schools to offer non-dairy milk with every school breakfast and lunch.
People who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan diet often rely on non-dairy milk. Common plant-based options include soy, oat, almond, and coconut milk.
Dairy milk will remain the automatic option for most students. However, parents can request a dairy-free alternative for their children.
Earlier this year, Congress passed, and President Donald Trump signed, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law. The legislation aimed to restore whole milk to school cafeterias and streamlined the process for parents to request dairy-free alternatives for their children.
“It’s very simple. We just want schools to be required to have non-dairy milk on the lunch and breakfast line,” Judy Wolf with Animal Protection New Mexico said. “In our own work, we have discovered that 64% of students in New Mexico are predisposed to lactose intolerance. The argument can be made that lactose intolerance is actually the norm.”
Why Milk Alternatives Matter
Advocates said dairy milk can make some students feel sick without them realizing the cause. They also cited waste, noting that students throw away 29% of lunch milk cartons.
APS and other districts already provide milk alternatives when parents submit a special request.
“It’s not uncommon to get these requests at our health offices, but providing the option to all students takes money. Approximately $0.60 to $1 more per carton. It is a funding implication involved with doing that and also making sure that we are purchasing the quantity for the need,” said APS Deputy Superintendent Antonio Gonzales.
Advocates said New Mexico’s Healthy Universal School Meals Act already covers those alternatives.
“Healthy implies that any student in school has access to the foods and to the beverages that are healthy for their bodies,” Wolf said.
Wolf said advocates are still determining whether they need new legislation or a regulatory change to require schools to offer a standard non-dairy option. For now, parents can ask for milk alternatives from most school districts.
