School menus must also contain lentils and chickpeas once a week, while deep fried food and ice cream is banned
New school food standards are set to boost children’s consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in what has been described by the government as “the biggest shake-up to school dinners in England in over a decade”.
Under new rules, all dishes must contain or be served with at least one portion of fruit or vegetables.
Previously, one or more portions of fruit and vegetables were required to be served daily, with three different types each week.
Schoolchildren will also be made to eat lentils and chickpeas once a week, with new restrictions on foods high in fat and salt coming into place.
Sweet desserts must be served with a portion of fruit, and will be reduced to being served twice a week in secondary schools and once a week in primary schools. Processed meat such as ham, sausages and chicken nuggets must be served with a side of vegetables or fruit, and have been reduced to once a week.
Deep fried food and chocolate spread is also not permitted under the new rules, alongside other restrictions on sugary, salty and starchy foods.
The new rules come as one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese, and tooth decay linked to high-sugar diets remains the leading cause of hospital admissions among children aged five to nine. The Department for Education added it hoped the reforms would support children’s concentration, learning and wellbeing.
Education secretary Lucy Powell said: “These are once-in-a-generation changes that will transform school food for children across the country.
“From our historic expansion of free school meals to the rollout of free breakfast clubs and new school food standards, we are making sure that every child has access to the healthy meals we know children need to learn, grow and succeed,” she added.
To ensure compliance, schools will be expected to make their menus and nutritional strategy accessible online, and will need to designate a school food governor to hold the school to account.
The changes will come into effect in 2026, and will be funded with existing money for schools, according to the government.
However, campaigners have outlined the need for more funding to support the implementation of the new standards.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) welcomed the changes but told the BBC they hoped the rules would not become “another stick with which to beat head teachers”, or that the new standards would divert money from teaching and learning.
Rob Percival, head of food policy at Soil Association, praised the new rules and highlighted the potential to push even further by prioritising strengthening local supply chains and increasing access to fresh and organic ingredients.
He said: “The updated School Food Standards present the opportunity for schools everywhere to raise the quality of their provision. We welcome in particular the proposals for more vegetables, fruit and fibre on plates, and less unhealthy ultra-processed food.”
The new standards have been developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts, and backed by campaigners, charities and nutritional experts, including Chef Jamie Oliver and Dame Emma Thompson.
Oliver, who has spent over two decades of campaigning for nutritious food in schools, praised the new implementations. He said: ”It’s brilliant to see new School Food Standards based on the latest science, to make sure the food children get at school is actually supporting their health and helping them thrive.
”And, that those standards won’t just live on paper, but have proper monitoring to make sure they’re followed, so we know where we need to deploy care, love and support.
He added: “Sure, there’s always more to do, but after 25 years of campaigning, today is a brilliant day.”
