Reducing Milk Waste in Childcare Settings

By Andi Anderson

Many preschoolers in the U.S. spend their days in childcare, where they receive regular meals and snacks. Among the required meal components is milk, which is often served at both breakfast and lunch. However, studies show that up to 40% of milk served in these centers goes to waste. This not only leads to financial losses but also raises concerns about its nutritional and environmental impact.

To tackle this issue, researchers and Extension professionals at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are developing a toolkit called SmartServe. This resource is designed to help childcare educators and staff reduce food waste, particularly milk, in centers that are part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP is a federal initiative that supports childcare centers in providing nutritious meals and snacks through financial reimbursement.

The toolkit includes easy-to-implement strategies aimed at reducing milk waste. One such approach involves encouraging children to serve themselves instead of being handed pre-portioned milk servings or sealed packets. This method can give children more control over how much they consume, reducing waste.

Another area the team is exploring is adjusting when milk is served. Since CACFP requires milk to be served at breakfast and lunch, the project is testing whether shifting milk to the afternoon snack—often a time when fruit juice is served—could lower waste while maintaining nutrition standards.

The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance the effectiveness of CACFP by promoting better nutrition, reducing waste, and cutting costs. The SmartServe toolkit will be shared through Illinois Extension and made available to childcare professionals across the state.

The project is led by Saima Hasnin, an Illinois Extension specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. She is joined by co-investigators Krystal Hodge, Rachel Mannen, and Jennifer McCaffrey. The initiative is also supported by the Illinois Public Health Institute, Seven Generations Ahead, and the Child Development Laboratory at the University of Illinois.

Funding for this work comes from the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program, part of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Photo Credit: shutterstock-alex-brylov