As a former NFL player and professional trainer working with athletes from elementary school to the professional level, I understand the critical role nutrition plays in achieving peak performance. Training, discipline, and dedication are all essential, but without the right fuel, even the most talented athletes will struggle to reach their full potential.
Before I begin working with a new client, I conduct a thorough assessment of their nutritional habits: what they eat, what they drink, and how they replenish their bodies after exertion. Nutrition isn’t just a component of athletic success; it is the foundation of strength, focus, and endurance. Without it, even the most rigorous training regimen will fall short.
When it comes to children, whether they are athletes or not, one of the best and most complete sources of nutrition is milk. Packed with protein, healthy calories, and 13 essential nutrients - including calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D - milk provides everything young bodies and minds need to grow, recover, and stay sharp. In particular, I encourage my young athletes to drink whole milk throughout the day. This simple habit not only helps reduce injuries and recovery time but also supplies the protein necessary to build and repair muscle, keeping them stronger for longer.
However, in recent years, we have seen a shift in school nutrition policies that has restricted access to whole and reduced-fat milk in cafeterias. This trend began when school lunch programs were overhauled in 2010. The result? Students losing much access to this critical source of nutrition.
Think back to the 1990s when “Got Milk?” was dominantly featured across television screens. Those commercials featured elite athletes proudly sporting milk mustaches, sending a clear message—milk was a powerhouse of strength and health. Today, that message has faded, and with it, we have stripped schools of some of the most accessible and beneficial nutrition sources available. Instead, students are left with fewer, often less flavorful and appealing, choices, which in turn leads to milk being wasted and children missing out on vital nutrients.
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It’s important to recognize that whole milk itself was never the problem. In fact, emerging research suggests that whole milk was unfairly vilified due to earlier diet trends. The truth is, full-fat dairy offers a range of health benefits, and its exclusion from school cafeterias has done more harm than good.
Thankfully, efforts are underway to address this issue. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., is championing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill designed to reintroduce whole and reduced-fat milk into the National School Lunch Program. Similar legislation passed the House in 2023 with an overwhelming 330-99 vote—an undeniable indicator of strong support for bringing back a variety of nutritious options.
It’s time to get behind initiatives like these that make America’s children healthy again. Our children deserve access to the best possible nutrition, free from unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions. As the Chair of the Athletes for America Coalition at the America First Policy Institute, we look forward to working with our policy experts in the coming months to infuse healthier options across this program and many others within USDA’s sixteen nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. States can also play key roles in piloting these bold policy reforms. Not only will these efforts drive healthier outcomes, including among children, but it will also result in additional market opportunities for small local farmers.
In the meantime, and by restoring whole and reduced-fat milk to schools, we can start taking one of many crucial steps toward improving the long-term health, strength, and performance of the next generation.
Frank Murphy is the Chair of the Athletes for America Coalition at the America First Policy Institute. He is a former star NFL player and is currently a professional athletic trainer. Frank played his professional career with NFL and CFL teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and the Miami Dolphins. Following a successful football career, he founded a charity called Mentoring with Purpose in 2009. He has received the JTEP Hero Award, the Hero Award from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
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