More fruit and veg on kids’ plates in School Food Standards shakeup

The government has pledged to put more fruit and veg on children’s plates as part of a shakeup of School Food Standards.

The Department for Education (DfE) said millions of children will benefit from healthier, more nutritious and tasty meals at school under plans to overhaul School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade.

It comes as one in three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese, while tooth decay from diets high in sugar is the leading cause of hospital admissions for kids aged five to nine. That’s all occurring while sugary treats and deep-fried food continue to feature on school menus.

The government’s proposals include limiting food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar and putting more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains on every child’s plate.

It has launched a consultation that coincides with over 500 new Free Breakfast Clubs opening their doors this month, offering places up to 142,000 children. 

The new standards have been developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts, DfE said, and will apply to all breakfasts and lunches served by schools. Under the plans, schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options like sausage rolls and pizza every day, while deep fried food will be banned completely.

Fruit will also need to be served instead of sugar-laden treats for the majority of the school week.

Sample menus include a colourful range of tasty, health-packed meals – including spaghetti bolognese, Mexican-style burritos, cottage pie with root-veg mash, jerk chicken with rice and peas and roasted chickpea, vegetable and mozzarella wrap.

The government has launched a nine‑week consultation on the healthier options with parents and children, alongside a new national enforcement mechanism to monitor the new standards and ensure they are applied consistently.

The changes have been supported by food campaigners, charities and nutritional experts including Bite Back, Tom Kerridge, Chefs in Schools, Emma Thompson and Henry Dimbleby.

‘Long overdue’ overhaul

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: ”Today we are launching the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation, and it is long overdue.

”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.

“From our Free Breakfast Clubs to extending Free School Meals to over half a million more children, this means good-quality food from the moment children arrive at school to the end of the day.”

The new School Food Standards also include new dedicated breakfast standards. To ensure schools follow the new standards, the government said it will develop “a robust national enforcement system” including monitoring schools’ compliance.

Full details will be announced this September, with enforcement in place from September 2027.

The government also wants every school to appoint a lead governor to be responsible for school food, as well as asking every school to publish their food policy and menus online. 

‘Potential game changer’

The Soil Association described the plans as potentially “game-changing” for the quality of food provided across England – but only if it’s done right.

“Our Food for Life Served Here award is the only scheme verifying the quality of meals being served to British school children – this must change,” said Soil Association head of food policy Rob Percival. ”There is a lack of national data to help identify success stories or causes for concern, and no effective framework in place.

“Revised standards could be game-changing, helping raise the quality of food provided across England, if they come with increased funding for support and training.”

The charity’s main ask is that the new school food standards must be strictly monitored and enforced. The revised standards should encourage fresh preparation of meals from minimally processed ingredients, it said, and meals should be plant-rich with ingredients sourced from nature-friendly and higher welfare farms where possible.

Flexibility must be built in to support schools to provide culturally appropriate meals and to assist them in considering allergen and faith needs, it added.

Caterers will also need support to implement the standards, the Soil Association said, and training and guidance should be provided to school leaders, caterers and business managers in this regard.