School nutrition advocates press Congress for more meal funding

By AI, Created 7:06 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – At a bipartisan congressional briefing marking the 80th anniversary of the National School Lunch Act, school nutrition groups urged stronger federal support for school meal programs. Advocates warned that rising food, labor and equipment costs could hinder schools as USDA prepares new nutrition standards.

Why it matters: - School meals reach nearly 30 million students a day and remain a major federal nutrition program for children and working families. - Advocates say added funding is needed now to keep meal quality high as schools face tighter budgets, aging kitchens and staff shortages. - USDA is expected to update school meal standards soon, which could require more equipment, training and scratch cooking support.

What happened: - The School Nutrition Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, with partner organizations, hosted a bipartisan congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2026. - The event marked the 80th anniversary of the National School Lunch Act. - The groups also met with Senate appropriators to push for higher investment in school meal programs. - Advocates urged Congress to expand access to healthy school meals for all students and to make federal nutrition standards workable for schools.

The details: - Former USDA Deputy Under Secretaries for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps and Cindy Long discussed how school meals have evolved under current standards. - Their remarks focused on improved nutrition quality, broader student access and a stronger push for fresh and scratch meal preparation. - SNA President Stephanie Dillard said food, labor and equipment costs continue to rise, creating staffing shortages and difficult menu choices for schools. - Dillard said school meals remain one of the strongest nutrition investments made in children. - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2026-2027 President Tamara Randall said nutritious school meals help students succeed and support the health and well-being of future generations. - AASA, the School Superintendents Association; Chef Ann Foundation; Institute of Child Nutrition; National Farm to School Network; National Milk Producers Federation; Save the Children; and Share our Strength joined the day’s events. - Advocates asked Senate appropriators to increase funding for school nutrition equipment grants, farm-to-school programs and the Institute of Child Nutrition.

Between the lines: - The push reflects a mismatch between policy goals and school-level capacity. - Federal standards can improve nutrition, but schools need money, staffing and infrastructure to deliver them consistently. - The briefing also underscored bipartisan support for school meals, which has been one of the most durable federal child nutrition programs.

What’s next: - USDA is expected in the coming weeks to release a proposed rule aligning school meal standards with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. - School nutrition professionals are preparing for additional limits on added sugar, sodium and other requirements. - Advocates want more federal support before those changes take effect.

The bottom line: - School meal advocates are asking Congress to pair stricter nutrition standards with the funding schools need to meet them. - Without that support, they warn, higher costs could make it harder to serve healthy meals at scale.