According to the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) advises that it wants to offer one option which conforms to the new rules while still offering pupils a choice of food at lunchtime. LACA said 80% of its members believed the new guidelines would lead to a decrease in the take-up of school meals in England. However, the School Food Trust says a balanced menu is still achievable.

The nutritional guidelines will be introduced in England's schools from September, one year after they took effect in primaries. They involve 14 nutrient-based standards. For example, the average secondary school lunch must contain no less than 7.5g protein and 5.2mg iron.

The LACA, is warning that the guidelines restrict choice because designing school menus would be too time consuming. It wants to offer just one main meal conforming to the nutritional standards, but continue to offer individual items popular with students such as pizza or baguettes.

It warns that the "wide choice and a la carte menus" will change dramatically because the guidelines on vitamins and minerals are so restrictive. Neil Porter, LACA chairman, says the result of this will be that children will reject school food and buy lunch on the high street.

"If the government is serious about the importance of school food in altering young people's eating habits and its contribution to reducing levels of obesity then it should act now," he said.

• LACA is responsible for catering in 86% of local authorities.
• Take-up of school dinners is now starting to rise in primary schools.
• But still under half of all pupils eat them - 43.6%.
• In secondary schools, take-up has fallen by over 5% since 2006.

School Dinners

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver devised a television series to bring attention to the poor nutritional content of some school lunches, which led to a series of new guidelines being introduced throughout schools.

The School Food Trust was also set up in 2005, to try to raise the quality of school meals. It says the nutritional standards were established after working with a number of different schools, all of which were able to produce an appealing and varied menu.

visit: www.jamieoliver.com www.direct.gov.uk