Millions of children will benefit from healthier, more nutritious, tasty meals at school as the UK government 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, News Cover reports, citing the UK government's official website.
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.
