Pizza off the menu as government overhauls school meals

New plans include banning deep-fried foods in schools and restricting foods high in fat, salt and sugar while including healthier options such as fruit and vegetables

A government overhaul of school food standards in England will remove high-sugar and deep-fried items from menus, alongside new proposals to strengthen compliance and enforcement. 

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 children aged five to nine. 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 plans, subject to a nine-week consultation, will ban deep-fried foods and restrict items high in fat, salt and sugar. Schools will only be able to offer foods such as pizza and sausage rolls twice a week, with a requirement to provide healthier options including wholegrains, fruit and vegetables with meals. 

Ministers said the reforms mark the first major update to school food standards in more than a decade and are intended to address rising levels of childhood obesity and diet-related ill health.

Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, described the move as “the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation,” adding that it was 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.”

Alongside updated standards, the government has set out plans for a national enforcement approach to improve consistency in how the rules are applied across schools.

The announcement has been supported by charities and campaign groups working in food policy and public health.

“This must be the moment the whole sector pulls together to make school food delicious and nutritious, and embed food education into the school day.”

Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation said the sector had a “unique opportunity to initiate a seismic shift in child health,” adding that the huge potential of school food to nourish and energise the next generation is finally being recognised. “This must be the moment the whole sector pulls together to make school food delicious and nutritious, and embed food education into the school day.” 

D’Arcy Williams, CEO of youth activist movement, Bite Back said, “It is deeply worrying that so many children are consuming too much sugar, and that three quarters of parents are concerned about what their children are eating.

“The reality is that the system hasn’t been working. We have standards that are meant to protect children’s health, but without proper monitoring and accountability, they haven’t been consistently enforced.”

Williams added that the government’s ambition to create the healthiest generation ever will only be achieved if these new standards are properly implemented and enforced. “This is a real opportunity to reset the system – and we must get it right.” 

The government said the reforms are part of wider measures to improve children’s health, including expanding access to free breakfast clubs and increasing the number of children eligible for free school meals. 

The consultation will gather views from schools, parents and pupils before final standards and enforcement arrangements are confirmed.