The Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative is focused on improving child health by putting real food back on school lunch trays. This effort includes bringing whole milk back to schools and awarding nearly $20 million in grants through the USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program.

The Department of Health and Human Services jointly introduced the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans earlier this year, emphasizing the importance of nutrition in public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 75% of U.S. adults have at least one chronic health condition, and a recent study shows that poor health trends among children have worsened significantly over the past 20 years.

USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program, which awarded two cohorts totaling nearly $20 million in the last three months, connects farmers to children by incorporating local foods into school meals, summer meals, and childcare settings. For example, the Foundation for Food and Farm Connections, a first-time grantee, will partner with 10 school districts, a large food service company, the Missouri Farm Bureau, and the Missouri Association of Meat Producers for its Powered by Protein project.

This initiative reflects a broader effort to address the chronic health crisis in America by improving dietary habits and supporting local agriculture in schools.

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