School dinners
The Hungry for Success initiative sets out clear nutritional standards for school dinners in Scotland aimed at ensuring they represent a balanced meal and are of suitable quality. For example, it sets out maximum salt, sugar and fat content for the food served.
Schools can meet these standards through a combination of menu selections, portion sizes, product specification of individual items and the number of times particular items, such as chips, are served each week.
Hungry for Success also states that schools should not actively promote or advertise full fat crisps, confectionery or fizzy, sugary soft drinks in the dining hall.
Healthier choices
Changes and improvements to school dinners are not just about meeting the new nutritional standards but are also about promoting the healthier options and helping pupils make informed choices.
Parents and carers
Most primary schools send menus home to parents and carers, who can encourage their children to choose healthier options by discussing them at home, or even trying out new dishes or foods at home first, so that children are more willing to take them at school.
Secondary schools should also make school dinner menus available; discussing options, choices and the importance of healthy eating can help parents and carers influence choice.
Useful links
PDF file: What's happening to school lunches? (450KB)
The Scottish Executive has produced this leaflet which helps to explain the changes taking place as part of the Hungry for Success initiative.
School Meals on Scottish Executive website
The School Meals pages on the Scottish Executive website have information about Hungry for Success, free school meals, the free fruit initiative and guidance circulars.
Hungry for Success
Hungry for Success: A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland is the final report of the Expert Panel on School Meals with recommendations for nutritional standards for school meals.
Eating for Health: Meeting the Challenge
Eating for Health: Meeting the Challenge is the strategic framework for food and health published by the Scottish Executive to build upon the key actions outlined in the earlier document Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge (2003). The new framework will be used to further develop food and health policy and to guide national and local food and health action plans.
