Trump's 'MAHA' Programme Faces Hurdles as US Schools Struggle with Preparedness

Efforts by the Donald Trump administration to encourage schools in the United States to serve more fresh food and reduce ultra-processed products are hitting obstacles due to issues with facilities, labour, and budgets.

This situation is evident at Thomas Hooker Elementary School in Connecticut, where three cafeteria workers must prepare lunch for approximately 300 students with extremely limited space and equipment. Currently, frozen chicken nuggets only require coating in sauce and heating, while pre-made hamburger patties are topped with cheese, with vegetables and fruit served as accompaniments. The school, built in the 1960s, lacks a proper kitchen as many students used to go home for lunch at that time.

Now, Meriden Public Schools has converted three small rooms into a kitchen. The cafeteria manager’s station is only a few metres from the pot-washing area, while stoves, refrigerators, and other equipment are located in different rooms. District director of food services and nutrition, Susan Maffe, described the conditions as “clearly very challenging.”

This issue illustrates the challenges faced by many schools following the Trump administration’s push to increase cooked meals from fresh ingredients as part of the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) movement. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated that schools need to increase fresh food, whole grains, and quality proteins, while reducing added sugars and ultra-processed foods.

“We need to expand scratch-cooking activities, reduce added sugars and ultra-processed foods, and serve more fresh produce, whole grains, and high-quality proteins,” Kennedy said, as reported by CNN.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has promised equipment grants worth US$70 million, while the HHS will also invest US$30 million to find cost-effective ways to make school meals healthier. However, school food managers believe this funding is still very small compared to the actual needs.

“US$70 million will not mean much if it has to be divided across 50 states,” said Gay Anderson from the School Nutrition Foundation. Meriden itself spent over US$300,000 on equipment purchases and repairs last year, yet Connecticut will only receive US$209,000 from the initial USDA grant disbursement for the entire state.

A survey by the School Nutrition Association shows that only 16% of US school districts serve at least some meals made from scratch every day, while about 71% do so at least once a week. Furthermore, over 93% of districts stated they require additional staff, culinary training, equipment, and infrastructure to reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods.

Labour issues are also significant. Many schools lack full-time cafeteria staff because workers can earn higher wages in the retail or warehousing sectors. Cooking from scratch also requires specialised training to handle raw ingredients, follow nutritional standards, and use kitchen equipment safely.

In Meriden, the cost of lunch reached approximately US$5.07 per portion last year, but federal reimbursement is only about US$4.80 per portion, creating a budget deficit of around US$250,000. Maffe expressed concern regarding whether new nutritional standards will mandate more fresh food. “I don’t know how I will do it. Honestly, I really don’t know,” she said.

Nevertheless, some districts are beginning to show results. Littleton Public Schools in Colorado opened a US$4 million central production kitchen last year to increase scratch-cooked meals. Three chefs at the facility prepare zucchini muffins, pancake mixes, chilli, beef tacos, chicken pot pie, marinara sauce, and spice blends, which are then finished in 21 different schools. Previously, only about a quarter of the lunch menu was made from scratch; since the central kitchen began operating, that proportion has more than doubled.

However, menu changes also face challenges regarding student preferences. “Some children are already used to Kraft Mac and Cheese,” said Jessica Gould, director of nutrition services. “We are trying to make a big leap here. Getting their tastes to follow this change will be our next challenge.”