From September 2026, schools in England will adopt a new set of food standards aimed at providing healthier, more nutritious meals for children. The Labour Party government has announced these sweeping changes as the first significant update to school food regulations in 13 years, with the goal of ensuring every child receives meals that are both delicious and nutritious.
Under the new rules, popular items such as chicken nuggets, battered fish, fish and chips, and steamed sponges will be removed from school menus. Instead, school puddings must contain at least 50% fruit, and deep-fried foods will be banned to encourage healthier eating habits among students.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, emphasized the importance of good food in schools, stating, “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.”
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Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon chain and a key figure in the previous update of school food standards, welcomed the reforms, saying they would increase access to free school meals and improve monitoring to ensure better food quality. “September can mark the start of a new normal, where every child can count on a lunch that is both delicious and nutritious, and every parent can have real confidence in what’s being served,” he said. “Done right, it will boost children’s health, their academic outcomes and their chances of success in later life.”
D’Arcy Williams, CEO of the youth-led campaign group Bite Back, highlighted the urgent need for these changes. “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,” she noted. Williams criticized the current system for lack of consistent enforcement, allowing a culture of convenience foods to take precedence over nutrition in many schools.
The upcoming changes represent a decisive step towards enhancing the quality of school meals, aiming to positively impact children’s health, learning, and overall wellbeing.