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School dinner favourites - including fish and chips and other deep-fried delicacies - will be axed from canteens across the country as part of Labour's healthy eating drive. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who famously led the ban on Turkey Twizzlers in 2005, has thrown his support behind the initiative aimed at addressing rising levels of childhood obesity. The menu overhaul represents the most significant shake-up to school food rules in over a decade. Sugary snacks and unhealthy options will be eliminated from dining halls, with all deep-fried items banned under the new guidelines. Pastries, pizzas, sausage rolls and similar snacks will face strict restrictions. Puddings will also be subject to tighter controls, with all desserts required to include a minimum of 50 per cent fruit. Fresh produce, vegetables and wholegrains will take priority in school kitchens. Freshly prepared hot dishes will take the place of ultra-processed alternatives. Suggested menu options feature spaghetti bolognese, Mexican-style burritos and cottage pie served with root vegetable mash. Additional choices include jerk chicken with rice and peas, roasted chickpeas and mozzarella wraps. Government figures say a third of pupils finish primary school either overweight or obese. Dental decay caused by excessive sugar consumption remains the leading reason for hospital admissions among children between five and nine years old. EDUCATION - READ THE LATEST: ‘Uniforms create sameness!’ Commentator weighs in on ‘restrictive’ school dress after GB News audit Labour sparks concern as proposed guidance permits boys to participate with girls in school sports Top university tells teachers to ignore students' poor grammar in woke diversity drive A national monitoring system will be established to ensure schools comply with the updated requirements. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We're launching the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation. It's long overdue." She added: "Every child deserves delicious, nutritious food at school that gives them energy to concentrate." Meanwhile, Mr Oliver said: "I'm delighted this Government is updating and enforcing these standards." The television chef has long campaigned for healthier meals in schools. In 2005, Mr Oliver launched a crusade against school menus featuring Turkey Twizzlers after slamming them as unhealthy during a TV campaign. After the Jamie's School Dinners series aired, school meals contractors axed them, with the much-loved product later discontinued. An online petition was launched to bring them back in 2018, gathering almost 30,000 signatures in support. The corkscrew-shaped strips made a comeback in 2020 - though not in schools - with manufacturer Bernard Matthews doubling the product's meat content and lowering the number of calories per stick. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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