School lunch milk: variety, sugar and substitutes

Milk is part of every reimbursable lunch

Section 210.10 makes fluid milk one of the components of a reimbursable lunch, and the meal pattern table shows a minimum of 1 cup per day for the grade groups, with five cups across a five-day week. The minimum creditable serving of milk is 8 fluid ounces.

Paragraph (d) says all fluid milk offered must meet the rules in that paragraph, which cover type, flavor, sugar, substitutes, shortages and restrictions on sale.

Types and variety

Schools must offer students a variety, at least two different options, of fluid milk at lunch each day. The milk may be whole, reduced-fat (2 percent), low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free (skim); lactose-free and reduced-lactose milk may also be offered. All milk must be pasteurized, meet State and local standards, and carry vitamins A and D at the levels the Food and Drug Administration specifies.

Flavored milk is allowed if unflavored milk is offered at each meal service. The calculator checks both the two-option minimum and the unflavored requirement.

The added sugar limit

By July 1, 2025, the rule says, flavored milk must contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces. The text sets a separate figure for flavored milk sold as a competitive food in middle and high schools: 15 grams per 12 fluid ounces. As of November 2, 2026 both limits are in effect. The two limits work out to similar sugar per ounce, so a label can be compared by dividing the grams of added sugars by the ounces in the carton and multiplying by 8.

Substitutes for non-disability reasons

A school food authority may offer fluid milk substitutes for students with dietary needs that are not disabilities, but the rule sets steps. The authority must first obtain a written request from the parent or guardian, a State-licensed healthcare professional or a registered dietitian that identifies the reason. It does not have to offer the specific substitute requested, but whatever it offers must meet the nutrient table in the rule.

That table sets minimums per 8-ounce cup: 276 mg calcium, 8 g protein, 150 mcg RAE vitamin A, 2.5 mcg vitamin D, 24 mg magnesium, 222 mg phosphorus, 349 mg potassium, 0.44 mg riboflavin and 1.1 mcg vitamin B-12, and substitutes must be fortified according to FDA guidelines. The approval stays in place until the parent, professional or dietitian revokes it in writing or the authority changes its policy. If the substitute costs more than reimbursement, the authority pays the difference, possibly from the nonprofit school food service account. A school must tell the State agency if it offers substitutes for non-disability reasons.

Disability-related substitutions

When a child has a disability that restricts the diet, the school food authority must make meal modifications, including substitutions, at no additional cost to the child or household. The modification must relate to the disability or the limitations it causes. The authority must make sure parents, guardians and children have notice of the process for asking and of procedural safeguards, which tie to USDA’s disability regulations at 7 CFR 15b.

Milk sold outside the lunch line

Milk sold as a competitive beverage is limited by grade: no more than 8 fluid ounces in elementary schools and no more than 12 in middle and high schools, and substitutes must meet the same nutrient table. The calculator reports the limit for the level you pick. A school food authority or an approved person must not directly or indirectly restrict the sale or marketing of fluid milk at any time or place on school premises or at a school-sponsored event.

When supply fails

If emergency conditions temporarily prevent delivery, the State agency may allow meals with an alternate form of milk or without it during the emergency. If a school cannot get any fluid milk on a continuing basis, the State may approve meals without it if the school uses an equivalent amount of canned or dry milk in preparing meals. Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have a wider definition of fluid milk.

Limits of this page

Whether your school may substitute a given product, and what paperwork your district wants, comes from the district and State agency. This is a summary of the federal text, not a ruling on any child’s needs.

Sources

• 7 CFR 210.10, Meal requirements for lunches and requirements for afterschool snacks: eCFR text current through the October 29, 2026 issue date. Read November 2, 2026.
• 7 CFR 210.11, Competitive food service and standards: eCFR text current through the October 29, 2026 issue date. Read November 2, 2026.

Edition read: 7 CFR 210.10 and 210.11 (eCFR, current through the October 29, 2026 issue date). This page summarizes the rule and does not replace it.