Deep-fried food to be banned from school dinners

Goodbye chips

In a communication, the government said that "millions of children will benefit from healthier, more nutritious, tasty meals at school".

The move comes as the government says that "one in three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese".

The government added that "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."

With this in mind, major changes are coming to school dinners such with fruit replacing sugar-laden treats and limiting food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar.

From today, a nine-week consultation will be taking place with parents and children "alongside a new national enforcement mechanism to monitor the new standards and ensure they are applied consistently."

Major changes to school dinners wouldn't be complete without a familiar chef's face to boot - à la Jamie Oliver - with experts including Bite Back, Tom Kerridge, Chefs in Schools, Emma Thompson and Henry Dimbleby helping with the scheme.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:   

Today we are launching the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation, and it is 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.

From our Free Breakfast Clubs to extending Free School Meals to over half a million more children, this means good-quality food from the moment children arrive at school to the end of the day.

Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said:

Children are consuming twice the recommended amount of free sugar and offering more nutritious meals at school is a great way of ensuring they eat healthier food.

We’re determined to reduce the child obesity epidemic and the new School Food Standards represent another piece in a jigsaw of measures designed to help raise the healthiest generation of children ever.