School Food Standards: Free Poster

• 1 or more portions of food from this group every day across all main items whenever served. 
• 3 or more different starchy foods each week.
• All pasta dishes served on at least one day each week must contain at least 50% wholewheat pasta. 
• Bread must be available every day.
• All breads to be at least 4g fibre/100g (or at least 50% wholemeal flour) and no more than 5g fat/100g. Crumpets, pizza bases and tea cakes are excluded from meeting the fibre requirement.
• Starchy foods that are cooked using fat or oil (including flash fried or coated in oil at manufacture) may be served on no more than 2 meal occasions per week, and only when they form part of a meal. 
• When served simultaneously, meat and vegetarian dishes containing starchy carbohydrates cooked using fat or oil count once.

• All starters and desserts to be accompanied by, or contain, one or more portions of fruit or vegetables.
• Fruit and/or vegetables must be available in all school food outlets. At least 3 different fruits and vegetables each week. 
• One or more portions of vegetables or salad must be included as part of all main items every day whenever served. Vegetables do not include pureed vegetables, potatoes, canned pasta in tomato sauce, baked beans, pulses served as a protein.
• Vegetables that are added to dishes can only count as a portion if the vegetables added amount to a full portion.

• A portion of food from this group every day.
• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured semi-skimmed, skimmed, 1% or lactose-free milk must be available for drinking at least once a day during school hours. In addition, plain soya, oat and pea drinks can be served, provided they are unflavoured, unsweetened or contain no sugar, and are fortified with calcium, iodine, vitamin D, riboflavin and vitamin B12.
• Whole milk may be provided for pupils up to the end of the school year in which they attain the age of 5.
• Dairy yoghurt, fromage frais, custard and rice pudding must contain less than 10g total sugar per 100g and must not contain sweeteners.
• Plant-based versions must contain less than 7g total sugar per 100g, must not contain sweeteners, and must be fortified with calcium, iodine, vitamin D, riboflavin and vitamin B12. 
• Primary schools: No more than 2 portions of food that includes cheese may be served each week. 
• Secondary schools until September 2028: No more than 3 portions of food that includes cheese each week. From September 2028, the maximum serving of cheese will reduce to 2 portions a week.
• These limits apply to all main items whenever served and include plant-based versions (that must be fortified with calcium). This excludes cheese as an optional topping for jacket potato and pasta. Where meat and vegetarian dishes containing cheese are served at the same time, they count as one meal occasion.

• A?portion?of food from this group every day, across all main items whenever served.?
• A?portion?of meat, poultry, or pulses on 3 or more days each week (including beans, lentils, chickpeas. Does not include baked beans). At least 1 vegetarian main item must include a portion of pulses on 3 days a week.??
• In meat/fish serving schools, oily fish to be served at least once every 3 weeks.
• No more than 2 portions a week of manufactured meat and fish alternative products. Excludes plain mycoprotein, tofu, soya and tempeh, in the form of mince, chunks, pieces.??
• At least once a week a?portion?of pulses should be included within or alongside all main items (including beans, lentils, chickpeas. Does not include baked beans).
• Secondary schools until September 2028: At least once every 2 weeks a?portion?of pulses should be included within or alongside all main items (including beans, lentils,
• chickpeas. Does not include baked beans). From September 2028, this requirement will change to at least once a week for secondary schools.
• Cheese and baked beans added?to the protein food group.

• No more than a total of 2 portions of food from this group across the week. Includes all main items whenever served:
  • Batter-coated or breadcrumb-coated
  • Food including pastry (includes sweet/savoury pastry items)
  • Processed meat, meat and poultry products.
• Food from any one of these groups cannot be served more than once per week. Where meat and vegetarian versions are served at the same time, they count as one meal occasion.
• Secondary schools: processed meat may be served only once per week, either at breakfast or during the school day, but not both. Any processed meat served at breakfast counts towards the weekly maximum of one portion.
• No deep-frying in preparation of the final dish.
• No snacks in primary and secondary schools except:
  • plain fruit and vegetables (does not include juice, smoothies and purees, dried fruit and processed or extruded fruit products)
  • plain savoury crackers and breadsticks
  • yoghurt and plant-based versions that meet the requirements of the dairy and plant-based versions food group
  • houmous
• No confectionery, sweets, chocolate, chocolate coated products, chocolate containing products, chocolate spreads. Except for cocoa powder (includes?cereal bars,?processed or extruded fruit products).
• Salt must not be available to add to food after it has been cooked.
• Any condiments and sauces must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful. These must be reduced sugar, salt and/or fat and no sweeteners.
• Reduced sugar jams and marmalades must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful.
• Savoury spreads must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful.
• Chocolate spreads, honey, syrups and other sweet spreads are not permitted.
• Foods and drinks containing no and low-calorie sweeteners must not be served in primary school.
• Foods containing no and low-calorie sweeteners must not be served in secondary school.
• Sugar, honey, syrups and sweeteners must not be available to add to food or drinks after cooking/preparation.
• Primary schools: No more than 1 portion of sweetened baked products and desserts (manufactured or homemade) can be served each week. Fruit or vegetables must be contained within the dessert and where this does not equate to a portion (40g), it should be accompanied with additional fruit or vegetables to make up the full portion.
• Secondary schools: No more than 2 portions of sweetened baked products and desserts (manufactured or homemade) can be served each week. Fruit or vegetables must be contained within the dessert and where this does not equate to a portion (80g), it should be accompanied with additional fruit or vegetables to make up the full portion.

Primary Schools: 

Free, fresh drinking water?at all times?and must be available in the dining room/where food is served.

For primary schools, the only drinks permitted are:?

• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured water (still or carbonated)??
• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured semi skimmed, skimmed, 1% or lactose free milk
• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured fermented milk (such as yoghurt) drinks
• Plain soya, oat and pea drinks. Must be unflavoured and unsweetened or no sugar and fortified with each of these micronutrients: calcium, iodine, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12

Secondary Schools: 

Free, fresh drinking water?at all times?and must be available in the dining room/where food is served.?

For secondary schools, from September 2028 the only drinks permitted are:

• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured water (still or carbonated)?
• Flavoured water that is sugar free (still only)?
• Fruit-flavoured still drinks with no added sugar and a maximum of 0.5g total sugar per 100ml as diluted (can include sweeteners)?
• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured semi skimmed, skimmed, 1% or lactose free milk?
• Plain unsweetened and unflavoured fermented milk (such as yoghurt) drinks
• Plain soya, oat and pea drinks. Must be unflavoured, unsweetened or no sugar and fortified with each of these micronutrients: calcium, iodine vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12
• Tea, coffee, without additions such as syrups, sprinkles and cream.

This change will be phased in for secondary schools, which may continue to follow the 2014 drinks standards until September 2028.

A new standard to improve the nutrition of meal deals and ensure meal deals provide the same fruit and vegetables content as items offered as part of the main menu.

• A meal deal must include at least 1 portion of vegetables/salad and at least 1 portion of fruit.
• Meal deals can include drinks from the permitted drinks list.

Introducing breakfast standards will help to ensure a healthy, balanced offer at breakfast that is in line with the rest of the school day. A starchy carbohydrate must form the basis of the breakfast offer. While the existing standards apply across the whole school day, including breakfast, there are no specific standards for breakfast provision. 

• Breakfast cereals:

• • Cereals permitted at breakfast are:
    • Cereals with a maximum of 5.5g/100g total sugar
    • No added sugar muesli
    • Plain unflavoured porridge

• Breads and bakery goods:

• • All breads to be at least 4g fibre/100g (or at least 50% wholemeal flour), and no more than 5g fat/100g.
  • On 2 days a week, one of the following bakery goods can be served:
    • Teacakes
    • Crumpets
    • Unsweetened pancakes

Crumpets, teacakes and unsweetened pancakes are excluded from meeting the fibre requirement of containing at least 4g fibre/100g or at least 50% wholemeal flour. 

• Fruits and vegetables:

• • A portion of fruit or vegetables must be available at breakfast.
  • This can be fresh, dried, canned in juice (not in syrup), defrosted from frozen, or cooked. 
  • Fruit does not include fruit juice, smoothies and fruit purees.
  • Vegetables do not include potatoes, canned pasta in tomato sauce or baked beans.

• Dairy and plant-based versions:

• • Plain unsweetened and unflavoured semi skimmed, skimmed, 1% or lactose free milk.
  • Plain soya, pea and oat drinks. Must be unflavoured, unsweetened or no sugar and fortified with each of these micronutrients: calcium, iodine, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12. 
  • Dairy yoghurt to be less than 10g/100g total sugar and not contain non-sugar sweeteners.
  • Plant based versions to be less than 7g/100g total sugar, not contain non-sugar sweeteners, and are fortified with each of these micronutrients: calcium, iodine, vitamin D, riboflavin and vitamin B12. 
  • Cream cheese permitted at a maximum of twice a week. 

• Proteins:

• • Eggs (not fried).
  • Baked beans.
  • Pulses.
  • Meat alternative products, (such as vegetarian sausages) once a week.
  • Secondary schools: Processed meat from specified products list can be served once a week. Processed meat may be served only once per week, either at breakfast or during the school day, but not both. Any processed meat served at breakfast counts towards the weekly maximum of one portion. 

• Spreads:

• • Reduced sugar jams and marmalades must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful.
  • Savoury spread must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10g or one teaspoonful.
  • Chocolate spreads are not permitted.

• Sugar and no and low-calorie sweeteners:

• • Sugar, honey, syrups and non-sugar sweeteners must not be available to add to food or drinks after cooking or preparation.
  • Foods and drinks containing no and low-calorie sweeteners must not be served in primary school.
  • Foods containing no and low-calorie sweeteners must not be served in secondary school.

• Drinks

• • Free, fresh drinking water at all times and must be available where food is served.
  • The only drinks permitted are those listed in the school food standards for the whole school day.