Deep-fried food is being banned from school dinners in England

What changes on the school dinners menu

Under a new framework of school food standards, deep-fried food will be banned outright, while fresh fruit and vegetables will be boosted, and fibre and wholegrains increased.

The rules come into effect from 2027 and will be funded from existing school budgets.

Chips must be oven-baked rather than fried, while sweet desserts such as cake drop to twice a week in secondary schools and once a week in primaries, and must come with a portion of fruit.

Processed meats such as ham, sausages and chicken nuggets are limited to once a week.

Pasta must be 50% wholewheat once a week, high-fibre bread becomes a requirement, and breakfast clubs will follow nutrition rules for the first time.

The Telegraph's version of all this, splashed across Monday's front pages, was "no ice cream and compulsory lentils."

Education Secretary Lucy Powell called them "once-in-a-generation changes" that would "transform school food for children across the country."

The Department for Education said it hoped the reforms would tackle childhood obesity and support concentration, learning and wellbeing.

School leaders are broadly on board, but wary.

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said parents would feel "reassured".

He added: "None of us would consider ourselves experts in health and nutrition. Don't create another stick with which to beat head teachers."

It follows the NHS flu vaccine rollout and everything the new PM has done since coming to power.