High-sugar and deep-fried food taken off the menu in new plans to overhaul school dinners amid health crisis facing children, helping to tackle obesity
Millions of children will benefit from healthier, more nutritious, tasty meals at school as the government today [Monday 13th April] sets out its plans to overhaul the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade.
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 5 to 9 – all while sugary treats and deep-fried food continue to feature on school menus.
The move comes after parent polling revealed three quarters are concerned by the food their children are eating. The government is tackling this head on – with our proposals including limiting food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar and putting more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains on every child’s plate.
Today’s consultation launches as over 500 new Free Breakfast Clubs begin to open their doors this month, offering places up to 142,000 children. We have already rolled out free breakfast clubs in 750 schools – helping save parents up to £450 a year and gaining up to 95 hours precious time back a year.
The new standards have been developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts 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 today 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.
These changes are supported by food campaigners, charities and nutritional experts including Bite Back, Tom Kerridge, Chefs in Schools, Emma Thompson and Henry Dimbleby. Many schools are already leading the way with delicious, nutritious meals that children love - proof that higher standards are both achievable and popular. But while many are already serving healthy school dinners, these new standards level the playing field so that every child – no matter where they live – gets good-quality food at school.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said:
This delivers on change parents and campaigners have been calling for. New polling shows 74% of parents have at least one concern about their child’s nutrition – from too much sugar (43%) and too many fatty foods (24%), to not enough fruit and vegetables (30%).
The new School Food Standards also include new dedicated breakfast standards to ensure every child begins their day with food that sets them up to learn and thrive.
To ensure schools follow the new standards, the government is committed to developing 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. With 50% of parents in England saying they don’t get enough information about what their child is being served, this means parents, pupils and communities can hold schools to account.
Dame Emma Thompson, Actor and Food Foundation Ambassador said:
Jamie Oliver, Chef and Campaigner said:
Henry Dimbleby, former government food tsar, author of the Independent National Food Strategy and co-founder of Bramble Partners and Leon, said:
Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive at Chefs in Schools, one of the lead partners of the School Food Project said:
There will be a phased approach for some changes in secondary schools – giving schools time to develop recipes, update menus and train staff. However, schools who are ready to adopt the new standards are encouraged to do so straight away.
Hilary Priest, Headteacher at The Grove School in Devon, said:
Today’s announcement builds on the government’s extension of Free School Meals to every child from a household in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026 — reaching over half a million more children and lifting 100,000 out of poverty. Together, these reforms represent the biggest expansion of school food provision in a generation.
Additional Supportive Commentary:
Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation, said:
Stephanie Slater MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters:
Thomasina Miers, Wahaca co-founder, Masterchef winner, and Chefs in Schools Trustee said:
D’Arcy Williams, CEO of Bite Back, said:
Head chef, Russ Ball, at Pokesdown Community Primary School in Bournemouth said:
Katharine Jenner, Executive Director, Obesity Health Alliance:
Brad Pearce, Chair of The School Food People said:
Frank Young, Chief Executive of Parentkind said:
Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign Manager for Sustain said:
Sustain’s parent ambassador, Mandy Mazliah (she/her). Parent of 3 children, 15, 14 & 10. Based in East Cambridgeshire.
Sustain’s parent ambassador, Gemma Mcfarlane (she/her). Parent of 2 children, 17 and 14. Based in East Sussex.
Emma Balchin, Chief Executive, National Governance Association:
Reema Reid, Headteacher Hollydale Primary school, Southwark, said:
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