Fish and chips banned in school dinners shake-up

Fish and chips are one of the foods that could be banned from school menus in England from September 2027 under new government plans to overhaul school dinners and tackle obesity.

Under the plans, deep fried favourites such as fish and chips and chicken nuggets will be scrapped alongside high sugar desserts, including cake and custard. In addition, schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options such as sausage rolls and pizza every day, while desserts will be heavily restricted and must contain at least 50 per cent fruit. Fruit will also need to be served for the majority of the school week.  

It has been described as the biggest shake-up in school meals in over a decade and comes as one in three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese, while tooth decay from diets high in sugar is the leading cause of hospital admissions for kids aged 5 to 9.

New sample menus include health-packed meals such as spaghetti bolognese, Mexican-style burritos, cottage pie with root-veg mash, jerk chicken with rice and peas and roasted chickpea, vegetable and mozzarella wrap.  

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Today we are launching the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation, and it is long overdue.

“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.”

The government has launched a nine‑week consultation on the healthier options with parents and children. The findings will be announced this September, with enforcement in place from September 2027.