Changes coming to your child’s school lunch with limits on added sugar

Kim Posey
·2 min read
2

DENVER (KDVR) –  School districts across the country are preparing for changes after the USDA announced new limits on the amount of added sugars allowed for school meals will be phased in over the next few years.

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Here is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan:

  • Product-based limits to be implemented by school year 2025-26 (beginning July 1, 2025):

    • Breakfast cereals may have no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.

    • Yogurt may have no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).

    • Flavored milk may have no more than 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces or, for flavored milk sold as a competitive food for middle and high schools, 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.

  • Weekly dietary limits to be implemented by school year 2027-28 (beginning July 1, 2027):

    • In addition to product-based limits described above, the final rule also establishes a dietary specification limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories across the week in the school lunch and breakfast programs.

Denver Public Schools serves breakfast to more than 30,000 students and serves lunch to about 50,000 students every day.

Theresa Hafner oversees the Food Services Department for DPS.

“It’s not the naturally occurring sugar like that’s in a piece of fruit, but it’s the added sugar, and they just want us to limit that,” Hafner said,

“We are a scratch-cooking district, so we can already, by tweaking our recipes, eliminate and limit some of the added sugar,” she said.

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The district’s yogurt already meets the new standard, but other changes will have to be made.

“It can make our job a little more challenging, but it’s for the health of kids and so added sugar is something that we all should be aware of and helping lead in the fight against obesity,” Hafner said.

The new USDA rules will also reduce the allowed sodium levels by the 2027 school year.

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