Fried foods such as chicken nuggets and fish and chips are set to be removed from school menus as part of efforts to tackle childhood obesity.

The government is planning a major overhaul of school meals, with fruit set to replace sugary snacks for most of the week and unhealthy grab and go options like pizza and sausage rolls no longer allowed on a daily basis.

School leaders have broadly backed the push for healthier food, but the Association of School and College Leaders warned that extra funding will be essential if schools are expected to deliver the changes properly.

Political reaction has been mixed. The Lib Dem's said school meal funding must keep pace with rising costs, while  Reform UK accused the government of interfering too much in people’s lives. Meanwhile, the Green Party said the move to cut unhealthy food was long overdue.

According to the Deparment For Education, the reforms are designed to ensure millions of children receive healthier, more balanced meals every day. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described the plans as the biggest shake-up of school food in a generation, saying every child should have access to meals that help them focus, learn and stay healthy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he believes schools will be able to implement the changes within their current budgets.

The government points to growing health concerns among children, with more than one in three leaving primary school overweight or obese. High sugar diets are also driving tooth decay, now the leading cause of hospital admissions among children aged five to nine.

Under the proposed rules, sugary desserts will be limited to once a week, while schools will be required to increase the amount of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains on their menus.

These are the first updates to school food standards in a decade, after earlier plans were delayed by the pandemic. The changes will apply to both primary and secondary schools across England as part of a wider effort to improve children’s health.

Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey said the reforms are intended to kickstart a wider transformation of school food, with a focus on cutting sugar, increasing fibre and removing the most unhealthy options like deep fried meals.

She added that schools will be expected to publish their menus online, and insisted that healthier food does not necessarily mean higher costs.

Brad Pearce, from the School Food People, welcomed the review but said the new standards must be properly funded and monitored if they are to succeed.