School Food Standards
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School Food Standards
Eating in school should be a pleasurable experience: Time spent sharing good food with peers and teachers.
These school food standards are intended lo help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure that they get the energy and nutrition they need across the whole school day. It is just as important to cook food that looks good and tastes delicious; to talk to children about what is on offer and recommend dishes; to reduce queuing; and to serve the food in a pleasant environment where they can eat with their friends.
As a general principle, it is important to provide a wide range of foods across the week. Variety is key whether it is different fruits, vegetables, grains. pulses or types of meat and fish. Children love to hear the stories behind their food. Use fresh, sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients (best of all, from the school vegetable garden), and talk to them about what they are eating.
Go to schoolfoodplan (opens new window) to find examples of what other schools are doing to encourage children to eat well. Remember to use Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services alongside these standards to help reduce salt, saturated fat and sugar in children's diets.
Fruit and vegetables
One or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment every day.
One or more portions of fruit every day.
A dessert containing at least 50% fruit two or more times each week.
At least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week.
Milk and dairy
A portion of food from this group every day.
Lower fat milk must be available for drinking at least once a day during school hours.
Starchy food
One or more wholegrain varieties of starchy food each week.
One or more portions of food from this group every day.
Three or more different starchy foods each week.
Starchy food cooked in fat or oil no more than two days each week*
Bread - with no added fat or oil - must be available every day.
Foods high in fat, sugar and salt
No more than two portions of food that has been deep-fried, batter-coated, or breadcrumb-coated each week.*
No more than two portions of food which include pastry each week.*
No snacks, except nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat.
Savoury crackers or breadsticks can be served at lunch with fruit or vegetables or dairy food.
No confectionery, chocolate or chocolate-coated products.*
Desserts, cakes and biscuits are allowed at lunchtime. They must not contain any confectionery.
Salt must not he available to add to food after it has been cooked*
Any condiments must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful*
Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
A portion of food from this group every day.
A portion of meat or poultry on three or more days each week.
Oily fish once or more every three weeks.
For vegetarians, a portion of non-dairy protein on three or more days each week.
A meat or poultry product (manufactured or homemade, and meeting the legal requirements) no more than once each week in primary schools and twice each week in secondary schools.*
Food provided outside lunch
Fruit and/or vegetables available in all school food outlets.
No savoury crackers and breadsticks.
No cakes biscuits pastries or desserts (except yoghurt or fruit-based desserts containing at least 50% fruit).
Healthier drinks*
Free, fresh drinking water at all times.
The only drinks permitted are:
- Plain water (still or carbonated)
- Lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk
- Fruit or vegetable juice (max 150ml)
- Plain soya rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium; plain fermented milk (for example, yoghurt) drinks
- Combinations of fruit or vegetable juice with plain water (still or carbonated, with no added sugars or honey)
- Combinations of fruit juice and lower fat milk or plain yoghurt, plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium cocoa and lower fat milk; flavoured lower fat milk, all with less than 5% added sugars or honey
- Tea, coffee, hot chocolate
Combination drinks are limited to a portion size of 330ml. They may contain added vitamins or minerals, and no more than 150ml fruit or vegetable juice. Fruit or vegetable juice combination drinks must be at least 45% fruit or vegetable juice.
* This Standard applies across the whole school day, including breakfasts, morning breaks, tuck shops, and after school clubs.