(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – Senator Roger Marshall this week introduced legislation that amends the Richard Russell National School Lunch Act to allow schools participating in the program to serve whole milk.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans reports that nearly 90 percent of Americans do not meet their daily dairy intake recommendations. The Kansas Republican says, “I truly believe food is medicine, and by increasing kids’ access to milk, we will help prevent health complications down the road and encourage nutrient-rich diets for years to come.”

In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act which amended nutrition standards in the School Lunch Program. Among the changes, the law mandated that flavored milk must be fat-free within the program. In May of 2017, USDA announced a rule that allowed schools to receive waivers for low-fat flavored milk, rather than only fat-free. Leading nutritionists have found that whole dairy fats have no negative effect on a diet, and may even reduce risk of heart disease.