School Nutrition Standards

As it stands, only 19% of children aged 5-15 get their five-a-day. 95% of children exceed the recommended daily limit for added sugar. Up to 70% of calories in secondary schools come from ultra-processed foods. Today was the last day of the Government's school food standards consultation (the first overhaul since 2014!) and I think it bears a reminder of just how far we have to go in reforming our food system so that it supports health instead of working against it. I genuinely welcome the proposals in this consultation: Banning deep-fried food. Restricting high-sugar options. Mandatory portions of vegetables or salad with meals. A greater focus on wholegrains. These things will make a real difference to children who currently have no alternative to whatever is on the school plate. But the stakes are higher than a single meal. We know that the eating habits children form between 5 and 19 are among the most powerful predictors of their long-term health. UNICEF actually describes this period as a "second window of opportunity for growth, cognitive development, educational achievement, and establishing lifelong dietary habits.” Those habits will also become one of the most powerful predictors of their long-term health, as when kids spend years eating food engineered to be addictive, low in nutrients, and high in sugar and additives, their taste preferences are altered for life. So I will be watching closely when the Government response drops in September. Because whilst the standards cover school-provided meals, they don't yet touch what supermarkets choose to stock overall, or what a family can actually afford when healthy food costs so much more than the ultra-processed alternative. You can serve an amazingly healthy school lunch and still send a child home to an 80% UPF diet. The problem neither starts nor finishes at the school gate, and September’s response will confirm whether or not the Government is taking that into account.

How can we give every child the best start in life? By feeding them well. A new podcast from The Food Foundation explores research led by the University of Birmingham on what actually works in improving #schoolfood and children’s #nutrition. Great job Leticija Petrovic, Sarah Newton, Dr Katie Edwards and Sian Kidd 👏 My top takeaway? Stop obsessing over single silver bullets. The research looked at existing #publichealth interventions to understand what characteristics make food policies stick. Then it brought practitioners into the conversation: local authority leads from Birmingham City Council and Monmouthshire County Council, alongside academics and community practitioners. What seems to matter isn’t just what you do, but how you design and embed it. From what’s discussed, effective school food policies tend to: – be embedded in a wider food strategy, not bolted on – involve cross-department collaboration (public health, education, #procurement) – combine standards with support and education – build local ownership rather than relying on top-down instruction – treat children as citizens with agency, not just passive recipients of calories That last point is crucial. Creative #foodeducation programmes – like those delivered in Monmouthshire – show that when children understand food, they’re more likely to engage with it. #Cocreation with schools, parents and kids is key. For those of us working in #foodpolicy, #localgovernment or #schoolcatering, the message is clear: this isn’t about finding the next technical fix. It’s about governance, systems and culture. #Schoolfood is often framed as a cost pressure. It should instead be seen as infrastructure: for public health, local economies and long-term resilience. If we want better outcomes, we need better-designed policy ecosystems. The good news? Some places are already showing how.

BIG NEWS: High-sugar and deep-fried foods have been banned from school meals. 🙌 This is a really encouraging change and long overdue. Right now, around 1 in 3 children in England leave primary school overweight or obese, and ultra-processed foods make up over 60% of children’s calorie intake in the UK. These foods (high in sugar, low in fibre, and engineered for overconsumption) have become the norm and the harm goes far beyond weight: 🧠 Children with high UPF intake have ~25% higher odds of ADHD-like symptoms 🧒 Diets high in UPFs are linked to insulin resistance, hypertension, and fatty liver even in childhood 🍦 Children consume 2-3 × the recommended sugar intake These foods also displace the whole food-based nutrients that support brain development, stabilise energy and improve concentration. It's important to remember, however, that policy change alone doesn't automatically mean better nutrition for children. School food providers are already working within tight budgets, operational pressures, and low uptake. Many children simply don’t choose school meals with only around 60% choosing school meals instead of packed lunched (which rarely meet nutritional standards). Healthier meals must be appealing, accessible and properly funded, or else we risk making a policy change that has no effect on what children actually eat. Here's what needs to happen to enact real change: ⭐ Investing in better-quality, desirable, healthy food ⭐ Supporting schools and caterers with adequate funding ⭐ Embedding food education in the curriculum We need to make healthy food the default. If we get that right, the benefits go far beyond health. We improve education, address inequality and boost long-term productivity. 📩 I share insights like this monthly for anyone interested in evidence-based nutrition and health. #ChildNutrition #HealthySchools #ObesityPrevention

Every day, 30 million children sit down for a school lunch. What's on their tray is about to change, but the question is whether schools are ready. In January 2026, the U.S. released the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades. The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines call for prioritizing high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while avoiding highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. On paper, that sounds like a win. In a school cafeteria? It's complicated. Here's the reality on the ground: more than 93% of school nutrition directors cited the need for more staff, culinary training, equipment, and infrastructure to reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods. And the numbers behind that statistic are even more striking: 79% expressed an "extreme need" for increased funds to expand scratch cooking. Why? Because of a structural problem that has nothing to do with willpower or intention. Many schools were built 40-plus years ago. They were built to reheat food, not to function as commercial cooking kitchens. You can't legislate scratch cooking into existence when the infrastructure to support it doesn't exist. As one expert from the Chef Ann Foundation put it plainly: "You cannot go from serving heavily processed, heat-and-serve items to scratch cooking immediately. It is a transition." This is the gap between policy ambition and operational reality, and it's one our industry understands deeply. The vision of the new guidelines is right. Children deserve whole, nutrient-dense meals. Reducing ultra-processed food in schools is one of the most impactful investments we can make in the long-term health of the next generation. The U.S. childhood obesity rate is nearly five times higher than some developed countries like France. The stakes are real. But vision without investment is just aspiration. School nutrition professionals are at the frontlines. Schools are the only place required to serve meals based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They deserve the resources to match the responsibility. Three things need to happen, and need to happen together: 1️⃣ Funding must increase. More than 70% of school districts say current reimbursement rates are insufficient to cover the cost of school lunches. That math doesn't work for whole-food, scratch-prepared meals. 2️⃣ Infrastructure investment must follow. New guidelines without new kitchens, equipment, and culinary training are an unfunded mandate dressed up as health policy. 3️⃣ Industry must be part of the solution. Food manufacturers, distributors, and culinary professionals play a critical role in helping schools bridge the gap, by formulating cleaner products, supporting training, and making whole foods accessible at scale. The children eating those 30 million lunches every day didn't write the guidelines. They can't lobby Congress. They can't upgrade a kitchen. But we can. #Sustainability #FoodSystems #K12 #SchoolLunch

Healthy Children. Healthy Minds. Healthy Nation. The food environment around a child is not merely a matter of choice, it is a determinant of lifelong health. Healthy food should be the norm, not the exception. Across Maharashtra, the Food & Drug Administration has issued directions to ensure that schools become spaces that promote nutrition rather than unhealthy consumption. Foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) will no longer have a place within school campuses or within a 50-metre radius. Schools have also been directed to strengthen compliance with nutrition, hygiene and food safety standards. India is witnessing a rapid rise in childhood obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle disorders. If we continue to normalize unhealthy eating habits in childhood, we will inevitably pay a far greater price in healthcare tomorrow. Food safety is not limited to preventing contamination. It also means creating an environment where the healthier choice becomes the easier choice. This requires a whole-of-society approach encompassing all stakeholders. Public health is built one habit at a time. The habits we cultivate in our schools today will shape the health of an entire generation tomorrow. #FoodSafety #PublicHealth #ChildNutrition #HealthySchools #Maharashtra #Leadership #GenZ

🚨 Game-Changer in Student Health! Maharashtra takes a bold step forward. 🥗🚫 Maharashtra has officially banned the sale, advertising, and free distribution of junk food inside schools and within a 50-metre radius of school premises! 🛑🏫 This directive by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) targets HFSS (High-Fat, Sugar, and Salt) items to combat childhood obesity and instil lifelong healthy habits early on. 🍏💪 Here is a breakdown of what this major update entails: 📌 What's Off the Menu? • Carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks & packaged juices 🥤 • Deep-fried snacks, including local favourites like vada pav & samosas 🥟 • Ultra-processed items like packaged chips, chocolates & commercial ice creams 🍦 📌 Key Rules & Implementation: • 📏 50-Metre Buffer Zone: Vendors, shops, and advertisers cannot sell, market, or give away HFSS items within 50 metres of any school boundary. • 📜 Mandatory Canteen Licenses: All school canteens, hostel kitchens, and catering vendors must obtain official food safety licenses to operate. • 🏫 Universal Reach: Applies across all government, private, CBSE, ICSE, and international board schools—impacting over 2 crore students state-wide. • 🔎 Strict Accountability: FDA officers will conduct bi-annual audits, with non-compliance risking serious regulatory action or loss of affiliation. 📌 Why This Matters: Nutritious food fuels better learning, sharper focus, and long-term wellness. Replacing ultra-processed snacks with whole grains, fruits, and fresh meals puts student well-being ahead of commercial convenience. ❤️🌱 Could this be a model for the rest of the country? Should nationwide implementation follow? 🇮🇳 Drop your thoughts in the comments! 👇 #ChildHealth #Nutrition #PublicHealth #MaharashtraFDA #StudentWellness #FoodSafety #HealthyLifestyle #EducationIndia #FutureGeneration #HealthPolicy

💡 NEW REPORT! We’re excited to share new research on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in school meals and policy recommendations to help reduce them. Kids deserve nourishing meals made from real, fresh ingredients. But with ultra-processed foods so common in the U.S. food supply—and growing evidence of their harm—schools face major challenges. A new Healthy Eating Research brief breaks down: • What are ultra-processed foods and their health effects • Opportunities to reduce UPFs through a continuum of scratch cooking • Barriers schools face in transitioning to fresher meal prep • Recommendations to support healthier school food systems This research is especially timely as new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which will inform school nutrition standards, are soon to be released. It’s expected that these latest DGAs will also address the abundance of UPFs in our food system. Our brief not only provides clear guidance on how to identify UPFs, but also offers policy recommendations to reduce consumption of UPFs by making them less available in school meals. Dive into the findings and what they mean for school meal programs nationwide: https://buff.ly/ZhCCd3s #SchoolMeals #ScratchCooking

👏 A huge moment for child health today with the release of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England. It marks real momentum in shifting the food system that surrounds children and young people, focusing on prevention and healthier environments. Here’s what’s included for children and young people and yes, I’ve included the page numbers, because otherwise I’ll never find them again either ☺️ : 🍽️ Free School Meals expanded to all children in households on Universal Credit (p. 43) 🍼 10% increase in the value of Healthy Start vouchers (p. 43) 🥦 Strengthened school food standards with improved support and monitoring (p. 46) 📺 Recommitment to restrictions on junk food advertising to children (p. 44) 🥤 Ban on energy drinks for under-16s (p. 44) 🍟 Limits on new hot food takeaways near schools in areas with high childhood obesity (p. 46) These announcements reflect the dedication and persistence of local authorities, NGOs, campaigners and advocates who have championed these changes over many years. Policy change often happens step by step, so to see so many measures together is something to celebrate. Babies and the early years don’t feature strongly in the plan but we mustn’t overlook the progress happening elsewhere. Recent policy developments show growing recognition of the importance of food in the first five years of life: 🌱 The government has issued new early years nutrition guidance for settings 🌱 DHSC and NHS have updated advice on commercial baby food, recommending that shop-bought baby food pouches and jars be limited to occasional use only, not as a staple diet 🌱 Access to Free Early Years Meals has been expanded for children in families receiving Universal Credit in state-maintained settings 🌱 The Competitions and Markets Authority made robust recommendations to the government to end pervasive marketing of infant formula (fingers crossed for a transformative government response to this...) These are positive signs of a shift toward prevention right from the start of life. The next step is to roll out these policies effectively and efficiently, making sure children’s voices are heard and the people delivering support on the ground are equipped and supported to succeed. Link in comments. Myles Bremner Rosie Osborne Harry Mackay Cressida Pidgeon

🥦Spain is leading the way on healthy sustainable school food 🇪🇸 In 2022 Spain updated its dietary guidelines to be more in line with the latest science on healthy sustainable diets (EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet). Now they are pioneering implementation -- having just passed a new royal decree on school food that brings what is served in line with NDG recommendations. The aim of this decree is for all children, regardless of family income level, to have access to healthy, nutritious meals at school. 🌟Highlights 🥩Meat to be served maximum three times a week. Red meat maximum once a week, processed meats maximum twice a month 🍇Focus on local, seasonal food -- 45% fruit and veg served must be in season 🫘Ramping up legumes -- to be served 1-2 times a week minimum in a variety of ways including as primary protein source in a main, or as part of a starter or side dish. Only 14% of schools currently serve legumes once a week 🚫Limits on processed foods -- pre-prepared options like pizzas, empanadillas, and croquetas can only be served once a month, and sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks and processed snacks will be banned from vending machines and school cafes 🍆Fully plant-based menus available for children who want them ⏰The new decree comes into effect next term, in all 17.000 Spanish schools (primary and secondary, public and private) This is an amazing step forwards, and I'm excited to see healthy sustainable food in Spanish school canteens. To ensure the policy vision becomes a reality on the 'school floor', compliance monitoring and enforcement will be key, as well as securing catering suppliers who are able to rapidly meet these new needs. Photo credit: Manu Garcia, La voz del sur. #foodpolicy #schoolfood #healthydiets #sustainablediets #publichealth #spain

School Nutrition: Why the Cafeteria Is a Public Health Intervention A child who spends 180 days per year eating one or two meals at school is receiving a nutritional intervention — whether or not anyone has designed it as one. The quality of school food is one of the highest-leverage public health investments available. The evidence is consistent and striking: Students who eat nutritious school meals show improved cognitive performance, better concentration, reduced absenteeism, and improved behaviour — effects measurable within weeks of dietary improvement. The academic performance gap between well-nourished and poorly-nourished students is significant and persistent. School food shapes the palate. Children who are repeatedly exposed to vegetables, whole grains, and diverse flavours in a neutral, social context develop broader food acceptance than those who receive limited exposure. The school cafeteria is a taste education environment whether or not it is treated as one. School food is one of the most equitable nutritional interventions possible. It reaches children regardless of their home food environment, parental income, or family food literacy. For children experiencing food insecurity at home, school meals are frequently the most nutritionally complete food they receive. And yet in most countries, school food receives a fraction of the policy attention, funding, and cultural investment that other educational resources receive. We scrutinise textbooks and teacher training. We largely accept whatever is cheapest and most convenient in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is a classroom. It deserves to be treated as one. What was the school food like where you grew up? Do you think it influenced your relationship with food? #SchoolNutrition #NutriXQ #SchoolFood #PublicHealth #FoodPolicy