Ella Scott
School dinners in Britain are getting a radical facelift, with the UK government vowing to tackle childhood obesity by culling unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options and ‘sugar-laden’ sweet treats.
According to recent data outlined in The BMJ, one in ten children starting school in England is living with obesity.
And apparently, this proportion rises to one in three by the time they leave primary school, as per the government
In an attempt to tackle the health crisis, the Department for Education (DfE) announced plans to ‘overhaul the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade’.
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The move comes after parent polling revealed three quarters were concerned by the food that their children were eating while out of the house.
New school dinner standards have been developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts and will apply to all breakfasts and lunches served by schools, as per the notice shared on Monday (13 April).
These government proposals have put deep-fried food on the chopping block. Sausage rolls and pizza will no longer be offered in school canteens every day.
Instead of reaching for sugary snacks, school children will be encouraged to eat fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains.
Drinks and food that are high in fat and salt will also be limited, the notice read.
Kids across the country will be served dishes such as spaghetti Bolognese, Mexican-style burritos, cottage pie with root-veg mash, jerk chicken with rice and peas and roasted chickpea, vegetable and mozzarella wraps.
“Today we are launching the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation, and it is long overdue,” said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
“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.”
A nine-week consultation on the proposals, supported by food campaigners, charities, and nutritional experts, including Dame Emma Thompson and Great British Menu’s Tom Kerridge, has been announced.
The final school food standards will be detailed in September 2026 and will come into force in September 2027.
According to the BBC, secondary schools will have a phased approach for some of the changes.
Some critics have raised concerns that some schools may struggle to meet the new standards due to budget constraints.
The Association of School and College Leaders said that while it supported the UK government’s proposal to improve school food quality, it said additional funding to pay for the changes would be ‘essential’.
The Liberal Democrats echoed that funding for school meals needed to match rising costs, as per the BBC.
When asked if schools could manage to swap ‘sugar-laden treats’ out for fruit for the majority of the school week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think they can.”
The overhaul comes amid news that any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will be able to claim free school meals from September 2026.
Over 500 new free breakfast clubs will also open this week, the DfE confirmed.