Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds the following: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that most school-age children and adolescents consume three servings of milk or other dairy foods daily, with two-and-a-half servings recommended for students younger than nine years. Most Americans, including most children and adolescents, consume on average only about half of the recommended amounts of dairy foods daily. Milk is a source of many nutrients essential to health, and is the leading source of nine essential nutrients in the diets of children and adolescents, including three nutrients of public health concern: vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.
Every eight ounces of low-fat and fat-free milk provides eight grams of protein. Dairy foods are associated with improved bone health, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a beneficial or neutral effect on blood pressure, and may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Throughout the history of school-based Federal meal programs, milk has been offered with each meal. Declines in average daily participation in the National School Lunch Program may result in fewer students consuming milk during the school day.
Declines in milk consumption in schools may exceed what would be expected from declines in average daily participation in the National School Lunch Program alone. It is in the public interest to promote the health of the Nation’s school-age population by encouraging and promoting consumption of milk in schools.