Certain foods will no longer be on the menu as part of a huge shakeup
School dinners are set to undergo a major overhaul as part of a UK-wide menu change that bans certain foods. The strict changes are part of a sweeping standards overhaul aimed at tackling childhood obesity and tooth decay.
Deep-fried food will be banned from school menus, and sugary treats will be limited, it has been confirmed. Desserts like ice cream and waffles, and baked goods such as puddings and cakes, are also set to be served only once a week and must contain at least 50% fruit under new rules proposed by the Government.
Sir Keir Starmer will promote the plans “supporting better health for the future” on a visit to Greater Manchester on Monday, April 13. Schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options such as sausage rolls and pizza every day, and deep-fried food will be eliminated from menus entirely as part of the plan.
The Prime Minister, ahead of a visit to a school breakfast club in Greater Manchester, said: “We’re improving the quality of food served in schools so parents can count on their children getting healthy meals. This is about easing the cost of living today and supporting better health for the future.”
Each school will be asked to publish their menus online to help boost compliance under the proposals. These are being put to a nine-week consultation starting on Monday.
Fruit will need to be served for the majority of the week instead of sugary treats, with sample menus including mains such as cottage pie with root-and-veg mash, Mexican-style burritos, jerk chicken with rice and peas and spaghetti bolognese. Each dish must be accompanied by one or more portions of vegetables and salad, and sides cooked using fat or oil, such as chips and hash browns, are to be served no more than twice a week.
However, a ‘phased’ approach is being proposed for secondary schools, allowing them to offer two portions of desserts or sweet treats a week from September next year, reducing to one by 2028. Despite the proposed ban on deep-fried food, breadcrumb-coated or batter-coated options like fish and chips will also still be permitted once a week under the plans.
The first new standards since 2014 will aim to increase fibre intake by ensuring more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains are on offer and have been developed with help from health experts and nutritionists. Backed by actress Dame Emma Thompson, Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby and chef Tom Kerridge, they will apply to all breakfasts and lunches served in schools, the Department for Education said.
Around one in three children is leaving primary school overweight or obese. Meanwhile, tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for youngsters aged five to nine.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the proposals were “the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation” and were “long overdue”. She said: “Every child deserves to have delicious, nutritious food at school that gives them the energy to concentrate, learn and thrive – meals that children will actually recognise and enjoy, backed by robust compliance so that good standards on paper become good food on the plate.”
Dame Emma, who campaigns for the Food Foundation charity, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the Government is changing the school food standards to make sure that every child has delicious, nutritious school food that they deserve.
“School meals are a golden opportunity to support children’s health, learning and wellbeing – and getting this right means children across the country can truly thrive. This is a landmark moment for families, for the NHS, and for the future of our young people.”
Mr Dimbleby, who quit as government food tsar in 2023, blaming the previous administration’s approach to tackling obesity, warned the standards would work only “if the Government sticks to the timetable set out today – and if schools and caterers are backed to deliver, and held to it. Done right, it will boost children’s health, their academic outcomes and their chances of success in later life”, he said.
Chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver said school food was “the UK’s most important restaurant chain” and offers a “massive opportunity to improve health at scale”. He said: “My Good School Food Awards prove that world-class meals are possible right now, and every child deserves that same quality. So, I’m delighted this Government is now updating and enforcing these standards.”
Sir Keir will tout the plans, as well as the opening of more free breakfast clubs, as the latest leg of his cost‑of‑living tour takes him to Greater Manchester. The visit coincides with the doubling of breakfast clubs across the region, with the launch of 33 new ones this week providing 10,000 more children with a free morning meal.
He will meet local people to hear about the pressures they face as the Iran war has caused energy prices to soar and hit household budgets already squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis. The Labour leader said: “I know what it’s like to grow up in a family that works hard but still feels the squeeze when the bills come in.
“Right now, that pressure is being felt more than ever, with global events pushing up the cost of everyday essentials, especially food. I’m not waiting to act. We’re expanding free breakfast clubs in places like Greater Manchester because they’re a proven way to help families save up to £450 a year, while giving parents back precious time in the morning.”
