Farewell fish and chip Fridays? Social media reacts to school dinner changes

It's been a staple of school dinners every Friday for decades, and was recently crowned as the nation's favourite dish in a survey, but fish and chips and other deep-fried food may soon be banned in schools in England under new plans from the government to "overhaul" school dinners.

But how has social media reacted to the news? As you might expect there have been some strong opinions, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the comments, and breakdown what the changes might actually mean for your child's school dinner.

Firstly, let's look at the positives. The Department for Education (DfE) says the changes, which will apply to primary and secondary schools in England, include a ban on deep-fried foods and schools no longer being allowed to offer high fat options like sausage rolls and pizza every day. This means millions of children will get healthier and more nutritious meals at school each day.

There has been some support on social media for the proposed changes, with comments on X including: "Great news! This (sic) changes will improve nutritional value and reduce sugar intake", "This is a step in the right direction" and "You go to school to learn. Eating good food in school is good practice and a lesson for life!"

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called the changes the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation, saying: "Every child deserves to have delicious, nutritious food at school that gives them the energy to concentrate, learn and thrive."

The government say that these changes aim to make school food healthier, more consistent and easier for families to understand, while helping children build positive eating habits for the future.

However, some comments on social media argue that diet alone is not the solution, suggesting instead that children should be doing more exercise at school. One post said: "…The problem is not the food intake. It's their lack of exercise. They live life in (sic) their smart phones. That's the problem" and another added: "Instead of banning food, how about better PE lessons, less screen time, and actually teaching nutrition?"

The NHS recommends that children and young people aged five to 18 should aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day across the week, while children living with a disability should aim for 20 minutes a day, splitting this into smaller chunks of activity throughout the day if needed.

There has also been some concern from parents online for how neurodivergent children will handle the changes to school meals. Some of the comments posted on X include: "I have a neurodivergent child who is particularly sensitive to dietary changes, this means he will go hungry everyday", "Neurodivergent kids will suffer the most from this change" and "Good luck with feeding autistic children at school then."

The National Autistic Society says: “Autistic children can experience sensory differences, such as being hyper - or hypo - sensitive to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures. This can affect their diet and cause anxiety around food, for example some autistic children might only eat certain plain foods or avoid other foods due to the texture.

Many autistic children rely on routine and predictability to manage anxiety about change, and this could explain a preference for certain types of food.

Dr Anne Emerson, Associate Professor in Special and Inclusive Education at the University of Nottingham, explained to us that many autistic children benefit from having advance warning about what is going to happen next. How much notice is helpful will vary from child to child, and is something parents and carers may need to work out over time.

You can find out more tips on how you can help your autistic child eat new foods and be healthy here.

But there have been plenty of strong reactions towards the idea of banning deep-fried food, with people on social media worried about what this means for the future of fish and chip Fridays. Comments include: "No more fish and chips on a Friday!!! That was my favourite!!!", "No fish and chips? What is the UK doing?" and "How can they get rid of fish and chips on Friday, the worst idea ever." One parent on X even suggested: "If our school stops doing fish and chips on a Friday, I'm going to pick her up and take her to the chippy."

While a ban on deep-fried food could spell the end for fish and chips in schools, the government say: "Schools will continue to offer meals that children recognise and enjoy, but with healthier ingredients and cooking methods. Menus are expected to include a mix of familiar favourites and new options, showing that nutritious food can still be varied, filling and appealing. This includes spaghetti Bolognese, Mexican style burritos, cottage pie and jerk chicken with rice and peas."

Some schools may begin making changes straight away, but a full enforcement system is expected to be in place from September 2027.

A spokesperson for The Department for Education told us that breaded fish and oven baked chips will be allowed under the proposed standards. So that's good news for all the fish and chip Friday fans!

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