U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the administration is refocusing federal nutrition policy to prioritize "real food" over processed items.
This shift represents a systemic change in how the federal government manages public health and nutrition. By targeting the types of food available in schools and via assistance programs, the administration aims to reduce national obesity rates.
Rollins said the administration is bringing whole milk back to K-12 school lunch programs. She said the move undoes a previous "war on real food" established during the Obama administration.
To support this transition, the department has awarded $20 million [1] in farm-to-school grants. These funds are intended to connect local producers directly with educational institutions, reducing reliance on industrial processed foods.
Beyond school lunches, Rollins is targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She said the program should be used for nourishment rather than processed goods.
"SNAP is for food — not sugar bombs fueling obesity," Rollins said.
The broader strategy involves a "nutrition reset" that emphasizes whole foods and deregulation within the produce sector. This approach seeks to improve public health outcomes by limiting the availability of highly processed ingredients in government-funded meal programs.
“"SNAP is for food — not sugar bombs fueling obesity."”
This policy shift signals a move away from the dietary guidelines of the previous decade, which often prioritized low-fat alternatives. By integrating local agriculture into school systems and restricting SNAP usage, the administration is attempting to use federal procurement and assistance as tools for public health intervention.
