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Nutrient-based standards for school lunches FAQs

These are questions we frequently answer about the nutrient-based standards for school lunches.

As the School Food Trust is no longer a Non Departmental Public Body, does that mean that the national school food standards are changing or being removed?

No. The coalition Government has made clear that it recognises the importance of healthy food in schools; its role in improving children’s readiness to learn and their behaviour at school, and that it can also help to establish healthy eating habits for life. Statutory standards for school food became fully implemented in September 2009, and the Government has said that these need to be given time to settle in. Ministers are considering when it would be timely to review the standards but at present, have no plans to repeal the standards.

For academies, their responsibilities are set out in their funding agreement. For those set up since September 2010, there is no requirement for them to comply with the school food standards, and they will be able to promote healthy eating and good nutrition as they see fit. Existing academies that move to the new model funding agreement will also promote healthy eating and good nutrition as they see fit.

However, it is unlikely that schools seeing the benefits of healthier school meals would want to stop. There is increasing evidence that both the food on offer in schools, and the food selected by pupils for their lunch, is healthier since the introduction of the school food standards. Research under taken by the Trust also shows that eating a healthy lunch in a decent environment improves behaviour and focus in class. Using the national school food standards will enable academies to promote healthy eating and good nutrition, and the Trust is confident they will see the benefits of this for their pupils.

The School Food Trust led the work to help schools understand and implement the legislation, and our nutritionists are always here to help any school looking for advice.

What is the difference between food-based and nutrient-based standards?

The food-based standards define the foods that must be provided in schools (e.g. fruit and vegetables), those where the provision is restricted (e.g. deep-fried foods) and those that are not permitted (e.g. confectionery). Food-based standards apply at lunchtime and across the school day. These standards will help to change children's eating habits by maximising access to healthier foods and removing the availability of less healthy foods.

The nutrient-based standards build on these standards. They specify the levels of a number of nutrients that an average school lunch should provide. This means that children are able to choose more balanced meals at lunchtime.

When were the nutrient-based standards introduced?

Primary schools have been required to meet the final food-based and nutrient-based standards since September 2008. Secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units were required to meet these standards by September 2009.

When were middle schools required to meet the nutrient-based standards? Which standards do we use?

Middle deemed primary schools were required to comply with the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches by September 2008, and middle deemed secondary schools were required to comply with the these standards by September 2009.

It is important for schools to cater appropriately for the age range of their pupils, and to ensure that the standards against which the menus are assessed closely match the nutritional requirements of their pupils. If the age of pupils in a school differs from primary and secondary, then it is more appropriate to use values based on the age distribution of pupils in the school to work out the nutrient requirement for that school.

Further guidance regarding the calculation of the nutrient-based standards for middle schools is included in section 5 (the technical notes) of the guide to the nutrient-based standards
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/nutrientbasedstandards.

My school has in-house catering. Who will help us to calculate the nutrient content of school food provision?

School Food Trust guidance recommends that schools should seek professional support to achieve this. In most cases, nutrient analysis software and the support of an expert (a dietitian or registered nutritionist) will be necessary. There are a number of options for obtaining this support. Schools might choose to purchase it individually or group together with other schools to purchase software and support. Some local authorities or PCTs may be able to provide a support service for schools running their own catering.

Schools can use their allocation of the School Lunch Grant to pay for the nutrient analysis software required to assess whether a menu meets the standards, and the expertise required to operate the software. There is more information about the School Lunch Grant here:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/faqs/schoollunchgrant.

The Trust has reviewed a number of the menu planning and nutrient analysis software packages available: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/softwarereview

The Trust has produced a Nutritional Analysis Support Package (NASP) to help schools, caterers and local authorities to determine the type of nutritional analysis support that they require and how this can be accessed. The guide and pullout chart will be particularly useful for head teachers, governors and school catering managers providing catering in-house or using a small private caterer.

The Trust guide to Nutritional Analysis Support Packages includes:

  • A review of the professional, technical and nutritional analysis support services available
  • A description of nine different models of nutritional analysis support, seven of which are illustrated with case studies
  • A supplemental pullout chart is also available. This lists companies providing nutritional analysis support packages and includes the key characteristics of their respective support packages.
  • Guidance on the person specification of staff providing expert support

Copies of the guide have been sent to schools providing catering in-house or using a small private caterer, local authorities, and those supporting the implementation of the nutrient-based standards. Copies of the guide can be requested or downloaded from here.
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/nasp

How should I calculate the nutrient content of an average school lunch?

The Regulations state that the nutrient content of an average school lunch must be calculated by totalling the amounts of energy and nutrients provided by all school lunches in a menu cycle, and then dividing that total by the estimated number of school lunches provided to individual pupils during that menu cycle.

To do this, you will need to collect details of all food and drink items provided in your menu cycle (1-4 consecutive school weeks) together with portion sizes, provision mix of menu items, and calculated number of pupils eating a school lunch.

Further details can be found in sections 4 and 5 of the Trust’s guide to introducing the Government’s food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/nutrientbasedstandards

Is it the main meal option that has to be compliant with the nutrient-based standards, or all items provided at lunchtime?

‘School lunch’ is defined within the Education Act (2002) as meaning ‘food made available for consumption by the pupil as his midday meal on a school day’. Where a school deems the food chosen by a pupil is to be consumed as their ‘midday meal’, the food would need to meet the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches.

Therefore, the nutrient-based standards apply to all food and drink included as part of the lunchtime provision (e.g. main meals, desserts, drinks, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, salad bar etc) and not just to the main meal option. In practice this means that all food and drink provided as part of a school lunch should be included in the calculation of an average school lunch (with the exception of the extra bread).

In many secondary schools, grab and go or sandwich options are very popular, and the proportion of pupils choosing a hot main meal may be lower. It is important to include all menu options in the analysis so that the ‘average school lunch’ accurately reflects the eating habits of the school population, and all pupils are given the opportunity to select their lunch from provision that is compliant with the food-based and nutrient-based standards.

What should be included in the calculation of the nutrient content of an average school lunch?

The nutrient-based standards apply to all food and drink included as part of lunch provision. Therefore, details of all food and drink (including main meals, desserts, grab and go items, sandwiches, drinks and cakes) available at lunchtime should all be included in the nutrient analysis. In addition, any food provided at mid-morning break that is deemed to be part of lunch provision should be included in the nutrient analysis (e.g. grab and go deals offered at mid-morning break) and in the calculation of school lunch take up.

The only items provided at lunchtime that should not be included in the nutrient analysis are the extra bread (without fat or oil) provided in case pupils are hungry, and bottled water.

Schools providing a high proportion of grab and go items or cakes relative to the proportion of main meals provided may find it more challenging to meet the nutrient-based standards, as these items are often less nutrient-dense than main meals. In these cases, schools and caterers could consider offers such as ‘meal deals’ to encourage pupils to select a complete lunch instead of individual items, or consider placing limits on the numbers of cakes pupils can each select.

Do the nutrient-based standards require secondary schools to serve only two-course set meals, or can they still provide individual items (e.g. sandwiches)?

The standards do not require secondary schools and their caterers to provide two course lunches only, and there is no restriction on the provision of individual items at lunchtime.

The Trust has worked with primary, secondary and special schools from around the country to introduce the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches ahead of the mandatory deadlines. There are case studies included in the guide to the nutrient-based standards describing how compliant menus were developed in six of these schools. Although the secondary schools featured in the guide promoted meal deals to encourage pupils to select a balanced lunch, to increase the nutrient density of an average school lunch, and to increase the speed of service, individual items were also available for pupils to select.

The case studies and further information about the nutrient-based standards are included in the guide to the nutrient-based standards, and there are further secondary school case studies, describing how the final food-based and nutrient-based standards were introduced here:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/nutrientstandards/casestudies .

 

What can be done to encourage secondary school pupils to buy a complete meal instead of several cakes and drinks?

The standards do not prevent pupils from buying individual items for their lunch. Although schools can have policies in place that prevent pupils from buying individual items (e.g. cakes) most schools operate a ‘cafeteria’ style system allowing pupils to select individual items to make up their lunch.

The Trust recommends the use of nutrient-dense meal deals to encourage pupils to select a complete balanced meal at lunchtime. Meal deals offering pupils the chance to select a main meal (or cold alternative), pudding and drink for a set price (in line with the value of a free school meal) can make it easier for food provision to meet the final food-based and nutrient-based standards.

The Trust worked with six schools to pilot the introduction of meal deals using a whole school approach. Case studies and details of the menu changes made and meal deals introduced are available from:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/mealdeals

When calculating the nutrient content of an average school lunch, do we need to leave out the additional bread?

Bread provided as part of a school lunch (e.g. as part of sandwiches) should be included in the nutrient analysis. However, the extra bread that is required under the food-based standards should not be included in the nutrient analysis.

This is because the rationale for the provision of the extra bread is that it is available as an additional item to meet the needs of those children with greater energy requirements, to encourage pupils to fill up on starchy foods rather than high fat, high sugar foods.

Do the nutrient-based standards apply to sandwiches and other items provided at mid-morning break?

The nutrient-based standards apply to food and drink provided as part of a school lunch, but not to food or drink that is provided at other times of the school day and eaten as a snack. ‘School lunch’ is defined within the Education Act (2002) as meaning ‘food made available for consumption by the pupil as his midday meal on a school day’. Where a school deems the food chosen by a pupil is to be consumed as their ‘midday meal’, the food would need to meet the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches. 
 
We are aware that secondary schools often provide ‘grab and go’ bags that include a sandwich meal deal or equivalent at mid morning break, to enable pupils to take part in sporting clubs or other activities at lunchtime. Where items such as sandwich meal deals or ‘grab and go’ bags are provided at mid-morning break, caterers should make a reasonable estimate of the proportion of these items that are being selected by pupils to eat as their school lunch, and include details of these items in their provision mix figures for inclusion in the nutrient analysis.
 

It is important to remember that where a proportion of food and drink items provided at mid-morning break are deemed to be eaten as a pupil’s lunch, and the provision mix figures are included in the nutrient analysis, that the corresponding income should be included with the lunchtime income to calculate the number of pupils eating a school lunch. This will also impact on the calculation of school lunch take up. There is more information about calculating school lunch take up at:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/calculatingtakeup
 
Where sandwiches and other items are provided at mid-morning break, but are eaten by pupils as a snack, rather than as their lunch, these items would not need to be included in the nutrient analysis or in calculation of school lunch take up.

The vending machines in my school are used at both lunchtime and mid-morning break. How should I estimate the proportion of sales that occur at lunchtime to use in my calculation of an average school lunch?

Catering providers should make a reasonable estimate of the proportion of the vending sales that are contributing to lunchtime provision across the menu cycle. For most schools, this will represent a relatively small percentage of the total provision at lunchtime and therefore any errors in determining compliance are likely to be small.

How do I calculate the number of pupils eating a school lunch to check my lunch provision against the nutrient-based standards?

In primary schools defining a school lunch is relatively straightforward as most of the food is provided as complete meals i.e. main dish, vegetable, dessert and drink, therefore in primary schools

Number of lunches provided in primary schools =
Reported number of meals served (including those paid for plus free school meals)

In secondary schools defining lunch is more complex because there is more choice, a variety of outlets, different serving times, the type of food or combination of foods are often not recorded in detail, and the number of ‘meal equivalents’ is not clearly definable. Two pieces of information all caterers can provide are:

  • total income (all till receipts) from lunchtime sales and
  • the price of a free school meal (FSM) i.e. its monetary value in the dining room

This information can be used to estimate the number of lunches provided. Add together the till receipts for a given period for all sales of food to which the school lunch standards have been applied. Divide this total by the value of a free school meal. Add the number of FSM provided.

Total income of lunchtime sales

+ Total number of FSM provided


FSM value



How often should I carry out the nutrient analysis of my lunchtime provision?

Schools are expected to demonstrate that their menus are compliant with the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches. In practice, menus typically change according to season, so evaluation of the menu cycle when new menus are introduced would be appropriate so a school would know that each different menu throughout the year was compliant.

Although the standards apply to planned provision, it is good practice to check if there is a difference between planned provision and the food that is actually provided and sold. If the differences are substantial, consider the reasons why, and if the circumstances are likely to recur (e.g. due to ongoing promotions) adjust the planned provision mix for the next menu cycle.

The guide to the nutrient-based standards states that I can calculate the nutrient content of an average school lunch for a group of schools who use the same menu and have a similar provision mix. What is meant by ‘similar’?

Where a Local Authority or catering provider can demonstrate that they provide for a range of schools with similar demographic profile, menu and provision mix (estimated number of portions of each menu item provided within a menu cycle) the average school lunch can be computed for a group of schools. Caterers should use their own judgment to decide if the provision mix is similar or different between schools in a group. If the provision mix is not judged to be similar, then separate analyses should be carried out. This may show that apparently different provision mixes are nevertheless compliant with the nutrient-based standards, in which case no further action is needed. If, however, the variation in provision mix means that the standards are not being met, the provider could either revise the menu or promote a provision mix which is compliant with the standards in all schools within the group.

If I have to change my provision at short notice (e.g. because we do not receive a meat order) do I have to re-calculate the average school lunch?

No. Overall provision that meets the standards will, to some extent, allow for small changes from time-to-time. The purpose of the standards is to ensure that the food provided, on average, is supporting good nutrition in school children, rather than to micro-manage school food provision.

We serve a meat option and a vegetarian option every day. Should each option meet the nutrient-based standards?

It is common for school menus to include a vegetarian option. Schools may also cater for other cultural diets or children with special dietary needs. All of these food and drink options must be included in the calculation of the nutrient content of an average school lunch. You do not need to perform separate nutrient analyses for children with different dietary needs. The standards relate to an average school lunch within a menu cycle, and not to an individual school lunch.

The schools that we provide lunchtime catering services for would like to run a ‘meat-free Monday’ initiative – what are the implications of this on compliance with the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches?

The school food standards do not prevent schools and catering providers from running meat-free days during the menu cycle. Where these are planned to take place on a regular and on-going basis (e.g. ‘meat-free Mondays’) schools and catering providers should ensure that these are included in the details of planned provision which is evaluated against the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches. Although the nutrient-based standards apply to an average school lunch within a menu cycle rather than to individual menu options, it is important that the meat-free meals included in the menu cycle are a good source of iron and zinc, to help ensure these standards are met overall. There is a searchable recipe tool on the Trust website which includes details of vegetarian main meal options which are high in iron and/or zinc and includes details of 25 iron-rich and 28 zinc-rich recipes that do not contain meat. This is available from: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/recipes

A booklet ’Recipe for Success: Afterschool Club Recipes and Tips’ featuring information and tried and tested recipes suitable for after school snacks can be downloaded from our website at: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/resources/recipesforsuccess

Where meat-free days are included in the menu cycle on a less regular basis (i.e. like a themed day), the details of the planned food provision would not need to be included in the nutrient analysis. The Trust has recently published guidance on flexibility within menus (see www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/menuflexibility) which explains how substitutions can be made to planned menu cycles without affecting compliance with the nutrient-based standards. This principle would still apply in the case of meat-free days, where it is important that menu options substituted into the menu cycle include good sources of iron and zinc, to ensure that compliance with the nutrient-based standards is maintained. It is also important to ensure that substitutions made ensure that compliance with the final food-based standards is maintained.

How do we assess food provision against the nutrient-based standards for school lunches when we have a number of outlets?

Caterers in schools should capture all food and drink provision which they deem to be part of lunch. This includes items such as ‘grab and go’ bags that may be sold during morning break, but eaten as lunch. The food from all outlets used at lunchtime should also be included in the nutrient analysis. To calculate the number of lunches provided, the till receipts for all outlets providing food at lunchtime should be added together, and the total amount divided by the value of a free school meal. The nutrient content of an average school meal would then be calculated by dividing the total nutrient content provided by all outlets, by the number of pupils eating lunch.

How should provision mix figures be estimated when a pre-ordering system is in place for school lunches?

We are aware that a number of schools have pre-ordering systems in place which allow pupils to select their lunch in advance. This system ensures that pupils receive their choice of lunch options, and also helps to reduce waste as catering staff know how many portions of each dish to produce.

The standards apply to planned lunch provision. When caterers who have pre-ordering systems in place are carrying out analysis of their menus against the nutrient-based standards, they should estimate the numbers of each menu item they expect to provide (the provision mix), based on their experience of previous menus. It is good practice to then check if there is a difference between the planned provision figures entered into the analysis, and the options actually ordered and eaten by pupils. If there are substantial differences, the provision mix figures can then be adjusted to reflect this, and compliance against the standards re-checked.

I am the Head Cook at a school with in-house catering and have had a number of nutritionists and menu consultants cold calling my school, offering their services to develop and analyse our menus against the nutrient-based standards. How do I know if any of these consultants are suitably trained to offer the school accurate advice?

There are a number of ways that schools who are responsible for providing their own catering services can access support to develop and analyse their menus. There is more information about this in ‘An independent review: Nutritional analysis support packages for school lunches – a guide to current models’ available here.
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/nasp

This guide describes nine models of support used by schools to develop and analyse their menus against the standards, and includes case studies describing how this works in practice.

One of the options described in the guide is to access support from a freelance registered dietitian or registered nutritionist, and section 6.1-6.2 of the guide contains a person specification to help you to identify an appropriately qualified skilled professional, and provides details of where schools can contact registered dietitians and nutritionists with relevant skills and experience.

Further Reading

The nutrient-based standards

Information and support introducing the Government's nutrient-based standards…


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