These Foods Would Be Banned In Iowa School Meals Under New Bill

Cafeteria food might be in for a makeover.

A few new bills have been introduced in Iowa lately, including House Study Bill 5. It prohibits schools from serving breakfasts and lunches that contain certain ingredients that have proven risks.

Specifically, the ban would involve Red Dye 40, Yellow Dye 7, and margarine, at least as it's written right now.

An Iowa House subcommittee advanced the bill this week.

R.I.P. These Cafeteria Foods

Red Dye 40 (already banned in California schools) is present in:

• flavored milk and yogurts
• some cereals (like Froot Loops & Lucky Charms)
• sports drinks, soda, powdered drink mixes
• cakes & pastries

Yellow Dye 7 is kind of a different one since it's mostly found in skincare & cosmetics. But it and it's variants are also in:

• noodles
• potato chips
• sodas
• rices
• jelly
• hard & soft candies

And we all know margarine, the butter substitute, that can be found in things like:

• pastries
• cookies
• donuts
• really almost anything with butter

If you're wondering what the concern with margarine is, Rep. Jeff Shipley (R-Birmingham) mentioned seed oils in it. He also said there were some errors in drafting the bill but it's intended to "start a conversation".

I think that kind of takes care of half of the cafeteria meals I had in school. But we want to make sure our kids are eating at least kind of healthy. When it comes to finances when determining to pack a lunch or not, set the budget for yourself. The average cost of a school lunch in 2024 was $2.99.