Healthy Eating in Schools Measure

Schools are an ideal setting to promote lifelong positive behaviours. The Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy states ‘settings where we learn, work and live will be positive environments that will promote healthier food, educate children and young people and their parents and carers’ (WG 2019).

This is supported by legislation for school food provision in Wales. The food and drink provided in all local authority maintained schools must meet The Healthy Eating in Schools (Nutritional Standards and Requirements) (Wales) Regulations 2013 (‘Regulations’). The Regulations set out nutritional standards for an average school lunch and food and drink requirements throughout the school day. The nutritional standards specify minimum or maximum values for energy and 13 nutrients and apply to an average school lunch calculated over each week of a menu cycle. The food and drink requirements describe the types of food and drink that must be provided, restricted and not permitted between breakfast and 6pm.

How can we help?

We can provide training and practical support to enable schools to develop a whole school approach to food; to establish peer led actions such as School Nutrition Action Groups; to deliver consistent evidence- based food and nutrition information within the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience in the new curriculum and to support schools to fully implement and meet the Healthy Eating in Schools regulations as required within the Estyn inspection framework.