School Nutrition Assn. Says Removing UPFs Will Cost More

You want to get rid of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) in schools? It’s gonna cost.

With the expected 2025 Dietary Guidelines looming, a Jan. 6 report from the School Nutrition Assn. (SNA) details the “extensive financial and operational challenges for school meal programs working to further expand scratch cooking and reduce reliance on ultraprocessed foods.”

Ultimately, the report “urges Congress to increase funds for school meal programs to achieve these goals and ensure any new rules are operationally feasible.”

“School nutrition professionals are at the frontlines, instilling principles for lifelong healthy eating among America’s children [and] schools are the only place required to serve meals based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” said SNA President Stephanie Dillard. “Congress must step up to ensure schools have the funding and resources to build on their successes and effectively implement changes to school nutrition standards.”

SNA’s School Nutrition Trends Report, an analysis of survey responses from 1,240 school meal program directors nationwide, reveals numerous challenges to ongoing efforts to expand scratch preparation and reduce reliance on UPFs. Some of the results:

* Virtually all respondents (99%) reported needing more funding, with 79% expressing an “extreme need” for increased funds to achieve these goals.

* Respondents also cited needing more staff (94%), culinary training (95%), equipment and infrastructure (94%).

* Nearly all respondents reported their programs are challenged by the cost of food (98%), labor (95%) and equipment (95%).

* Compared to last year’s survey, the percentage of respondents citing “significant” challenges with food, labor and equipment costs have all increased.

School meal programs have always operated on tight budgets, the group said. “For about $4.70 – less than the average price of a latte – schools must prepare a complete, nutritious lunch and cover labor, supplies, equipment and all other costs,” the Jan. 6 announcement said. However, survey results indicate intensifying financial pressures for programs:

* 70% of respondents reported the reimbursement rate is insufficient to cover the cost of producing a school lunch, up from 64% in school year (SY) 2023-24.

* More than half (51%) expressed “serious concern” about the financial sustainability of their program in three years, up from 45% in SY 2023-24.

Despite the funding crunch, research shows school meals are the healthiest meals Americans eat, due to current federal school nutrition standards. As school nutrition professionals work to make further improvements:

* Almost three-quarters (73%) of responding school meal programs are working to offer more local foods with school meals.

* 71% reported offering scratch-prepared entrees on at least a weekly basis.

Upcoming changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid under HR 1 will cut the number of children automatically certified for free and reduced-price school meals, forcing schools off the federal Community Eligibility Provision. SNA’s 2026 position paper also urges Congress to protect and expand access to free school meals.

The School Nutrition Assn. is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. See the report here.