Deep-fried food banned and desserts cut back under new school dinner rules

Schools in England will stop offering pupils deep-fried foods such as chips and cut down on desserts in reforms aimed at tackling childhood obesity and tooth decay.

Sugary drinks and foods such as ice cream and waffles will be limited, while puddings will have to contain or be served with fruit under the first new school food standards for more than a decade.

Pizzas, sausages and other foods high in fat and salt will also be restricted in favour of fibrous wholegrains and pulses such as lentils and chickpeas, which will appear on schools' menus at least once a week.

A portion of vegetables or salad should accompany, or be worked into every main meal under the new Department for Education guidelines, published on Monday.

The measures, which come as all pupils in England from families on universal credit become eligible for free school meals, will take effect a year from now, with secondary schools given until September 2028 to make some of the changes.

Around one-in-three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese, while tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for youngsters aged five to nine.

Schools will have to publish their menus and food policies online and be expected to nominate a school food governor who will hold schools to account for the meals on offer.

Chef Jamie Oliver, who has campaigned on the issue for more than two decades, said: "It's brilliant to see new school food standards based on the latest science, to make sure the food children get at school is actually supporting their health and helping them thrive."

Dame Emma Thompson, who works with the Food Foundation charity, described it as "a milestone worth celebrating and an investment in a healthier future for the next generation".

Read more from Sky News:
Trump talks up Irish reunification
Fire ravages historic mill

Schools Minister Georgia Gould told Mornings With Ridge And Frost that parents are "really concerned about the amount of nutrition their children are getting".

The changes are designed to make school meals "healthier and tastier", providing a chance "to make sure that children are able to focus on lessons and setting them up for a healthier future", she added.

But unions warned the plans will need more funding.

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said "the current funding rate for free school meals is not enough to cover costs and many schools have to divert money from teaching and learning".

Matt Vickers, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "Our Armed Forces are crumbling, but Andy Burnham has decided his priority is taking pudding off the menu.

"The only thing wobblier than Andy Burnham's defence policy is the jelly he's trying to ban."

(c) Sky News 2026: Deep-fried food banned and desserts cut back under new school dinner rules