11/29/2025
When I heard that recently the US Senate unanimously passed a bill allowing public school children to choose non-dairy milk at lunch, I felt something inside me exhale, a release I didnāt expect, rooted in memories Iāve carried for decades.
Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, my younger sister had an allergy to cow's milk. Back then, the idea of alternative options didn't exist in public schools. You ate what you were given, no questions asked. At breakfast, most kids poured milk into cereal bowls. My sister poured water over hers because there simply wasn't anything else she could have. Watching her do that, quietly and without protest, still sits with me. A child's dignity should never depend on what her body can tolerate.
That memory came flooding back when I learned about this new legislation, championed by Switch4Good founder and Olympic medalist Dotsie Bausch and supported by Wayne Pacelle of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. Their hard work helped make it possible for children today to have what my sister never did: a choice.
A Step Toward Food Equity
This bill does more than introduce a new drink option.
It acknowledges a simple truth: not all bodies are the same, and our school systems should reflect that.
Millions of children in the National School Lunch Program are lactose intolerant, yet for nearly 80 years they have been handed a carton of cow's milk whether they could drink it or not.
Think about that. Nearly a century of forcing the wrong food onto growing bodies and then throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unopened cartons each year. It is a system that has long ignored both children's health and common sense.
The new bill finally breaks that pattern. It opens the door for schools to offer plant-based milks such as soy, oat, almond, pea, and others, giving kids the freedom to choose what works for them. It is practical.
It is compassionate. And it is about time.
What I admire about this legislation is not just its outcome but the persistence behind it. Dotsie Bausch has spent years urging federal nutrition programs to reflect modern science and the diverse needs of American families. Her advocacy helped push plant-based options into both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the WIC program. Now that same
If this bill had existed when my sister was growing up, she might have had something other than water in her cereal. She might have felt a little less singled out, a little more included. Kids notice these things, even when grown-ups don't.
This legislation does not erase what she went through, but it gives today's children what every child deserves: nourishment that respects their bodies and their identities.
Offering non-dairy milk isn't a radical idea. It is a compassionate one. It gives schools room to honor cultural traditions, dietary needs, and basic human dignity. It reduces waste, saves money, and expands choice. But more than anything, it sends kids a message:
You belong here. Your needs matter. We see you.
That is the kind of message we should be proud to send.
So yes, this bill is a policy victory. But for many of us, it is also personal. For every child who ever felt different at the lunch table, this is a long-awaited moment. It is a chance to build a more thoughtful, inclusive, and healthy food system.
And I believe it is just the beginning.
