Public health dialogue around food and nutrition is evolving from a focus on simply providing calories to ensuring children and families have access to high-quality, nutritious food that will allow them to reach their full potential. Yet, there is growing acceptance that even access to nutritious foods isn’t enough, as the conditions in which people live, learn, work, play, and gather — the social determinants of health — also are significant contributors to overall health and quality of life. 

Nutrition security is defined as reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food to avoid hunger and stay healthy. Nutrition equity, on the other hand, is all about identifying barriers and allocating resources, so all people are supported to live healthfully. The dairy community can make a big difference in these areas by supporting nutrition access programs and nutrition education initiatives.   

Nutrition access is the foundation to elevate health

Federal meal programs provide a critical safety net for millions of Americans who rely on them for nourishment. Programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the National School Lunch Program; the School Breakfast Program; and the Child and Adult Care Program play a vital role in granting children, families, and communities access to essential nutritious foods, including milk and dairy products, which are needed for healthy growth and development. 

The milk and dairy foods in school meal programs provide children with nutrients they need to grow, learn, and be healthy. Access to nutritious foods like dairy foods is especially important during early childhood, as research shows that eating patterns established at an early age influence not only academic and lifelong success but also food and beverage choices made throughout life. Ultimately, eating patterns established early on can affect health outcomes such as risk for obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in adulthood. In addition, eating school meals every day is associated with healthier dietary intakes among U.S. schoolchildren and increased intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy foods. 

In California, the state is taking bold steps to improve access to nutritious foods and provide increased access to farm products for young people. In 2021, California became the first state in the nation to offer free universal school meals for all children. The program was built on the foundation of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs and ensures all public school students in the state are offered breakfast and lunch. In addition, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2022 climate action package expanded the state’s Farm to School programs, providing grants to schools to procure locally grown and produced foods for school meals. And while some see farm-to-school programs as a pathway to more plant-based meals, opportunity exists for the dairy community to take part in these programs and showcase the value of milk and dairy foods.

Nutrition education helps address social determinants of health

Many communities, especially underserved communities, are at a disadvantage from a lack of credible nutrition education. Nutrition education is critical because it equips and empowers people to make informed eating decisions and establishes lifelong healthy eating patterns. It can also increase agricultural literacy and knowledge of how food gets from the farm to the plate. In today’s technologically connected world where many people turn to social media as a source of information, there is a vital need for evidence-based nutrition education that meets people where they are. 

At Dairy Council of California, we believe that nutrition education should embrace a variety of learning and cultural experiences designed to inspire healthy eating habits. While our history resides in providing nutrition education resources to California schools and supporting agricultural literacy through efforts such as the Mobile Dairy Classroom, we are also focusing on multiple levels of influence that shift knowledge, values, and actions for even greater impacts. 

Dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese are well positioned to be part of nutrition security efforts because they are nutrient-rich, affordable, accessible, and culturally relevant. They also offer a unique package of nutrients that work together to provide multiple benefits, including optimal growth and development in children and reduced risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That said, the dairy community must continue to work together to build a value for dairy foods that, in return, elevate the health of children and families. 

No single solution or organization can enable the change needed to achieve nutrition security for all people. Rather, new thinking, collaboration at all levels, and systemic change will be required to ensure all people can reach their full potential. We invite leaders in the dairy community to join us alongside other change-makers in nutrition, health, education, and more to help make nutrition security a reality and, along the way, advance milk and dairy’s unique and essential contributions to healthy, sustainable eating patterns. Learn more at HealthyEating.org.