Nutritional
Standards for School Dinners
 The
Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations
2000.
New
rules make it compulsory to offer pupils variety and choice, a balanced
lunch, and to meet minimum nutritional standards.
When
did it come into force?
1st
April 2001. The former healthy school meal legislation was scrapped over
20 years ago by Margaret Thatcher's government.
Why
is it necessary?
A
quarter of UK children don't get a hot dinner in the evening. One in five
children eat no fruit in a week. About 1 toddler in 10 is clinically obese,
we have double the number of fat 6 yr-olds we had in 1990, 20% of 10 yr-old
girls are overweight, and more teenagers smoke than eat citrus fruits.
The most popular school meals are chips, pizza, sausages and hot dogs.
What
good will it do?
A healthy diet can improve concentration, and more natural foodstuffs
mean less exposure to additives and allergens. Research suggests five
portions of fresh fruit and veg a day may reduce heart disease, strokes
and cancer by about a 20% plus help fight asthma, which now affects 1
in 7 children. Regular meals can prevent PMS in teenage girls.
Where
does it apply?
English local education authority-maintained schools only. It applies
not just to hot meals but also to areas where only cold, packed lunches
are provided by LEAs.
Will
it work?
At
£1.25 per free school meal, balancing the books while balancing
menus will be tricky.
Minumum
standards for nursery schools
A
fresh fruit and/or vegetable provided every day plus one starchy and 1
dairy-based food, and either meat, fish, or a vegetarian source of protein.
Food
rules for primary schools
Fruit
(fresh or tinned) offered daily with a fruit-based pudding twice a week.
2 veg every day, both non-starchy and starch-based. Fish and red meat
to be served at least once and twice a week respectively with dairy foods
allowed as sources of protein on other days.
Nutrional
standards for senior schools
A choice of at least 2 types of fruits and/or vegetables, starch-based
and dairy foods, plus meat, fish, or a vegetarian source of protein. Red
meat must be offered at least 3 times a week and fish twice.
What
about the chips?
Primary
schools are forbidden to cook starchy foods in fat more often than 3 times
a week and secondary schools can't serve chips without offering a fat-free
starch choice too.
What's next?
The government aims to offer free fruit
to all 4-to-6 yr-olds by 2004.
Disclaimer While every effort has been taken
to ensure accuracy at time of publication, this information may be subject
to change.
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