(NEWSnet/AP) – New nutrition guidelines for school breakfast and lunch meals will limit added sugars and sodium, while encouraging the use of locally grown food, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

The aim is to improve nutrition and align with the latest U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year. Some of the updates will also apply to the Summer Food Service Program, which provides lunches during school break.

“All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters.

Added sugars: USDA said it has heard concerns from parents and teachers about excessive amounts of added sugars in foods that include typical school breakfast items. By fall 2025, new limits will take effect on high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. By fall 2027, added sugars in school meals would be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches.

Flavored milk: Chocolate milk and other flavored milks will continue to be an option, with the USDA citing "thousands of comments" on the topic. But the updated rules will call for flavored milk to have less sugar. Processors that provide more than 90% of the milk served in schools have already made a commitment to take this step, the agency said.

Sodium: Starting in fall 2027, schools will need to reduce sodium levels that are allowed in breakfast by 10% and in lunches by 15%. This overrides an earlier proposal for a 30% pullback on sodium in school meals.

Supporting local food purchases: Starting in fall 2024, schools will have the option to includes locally-grown, raised or caught agricultural products when making purchases for school meal preparation. Traditional indigenous foods are already allowed at schools serving primarily American Indian or Alaska Native children, and those menu options will be encouraged under the rules update.

Supporting food preferences: While not a new requirement, schools will find it easier to include yogurt, tofu and eggs as breakfast options in lieu of high sugar foods; and also to support vegetarian diets.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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