New nutrition standards announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture propose school lunches with less sugar and salt, starting in the 2025-2026 school year.
Limits would impact sugary foods, including sweetened cereals, flavored milks, and yogurt.
The ultimate goal is to restrict added sugars to less than 10% of total calories a week for school meals.
"Many children aren’t getting the nutrition they need, and diet-related diseases are on the rise. Research shows school meals are the healthiest meals in a day for most kids, proving that they are an important tool for giving kids access to the nutrition they need for a bright future," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a release.
"By proposing to limit the amount of added sugars in school meals for the first time ever, the USDA is taking a major step toward helping children achieve a more nutritious diet and better health," the American Heart Association said in a statement. "Added sugars are a significant source of excess calories, provide no nutritional value, and may cause weight gain and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions."
Also in the proposed rules, sodium would be restricted to stay within current recommendations that kids 14 and older consume less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Eventually, sodium content would be reduced in school meals by 30% by fall 2029.