Healthier and more sustainable catering website
Resources include a description of nutrition principles of healthier catering and a toolkit for serving older people in residential care
The Hospital Food Standards Panel’s report on standards for food and drink in NHS hospitals (2014)
Report on existing hospital food standards, with recommendations on monitoring and further action.
What Works Well Recipe Hub website
Collection of over 100 recipes that meet the UK’s Government Buying Standards and are suitable for children.
Sustainable procurement: the Official Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food and catering services
Mandatory product specifications for government agencies; also see: A Plan for Public Procurement: Food & Catering Balanced scorecard (nutrition criteria, page 17).
School Food Plan What Works Well website
Resources for schools to implement healthier food guidance, including a link to the What Works Well RecipeHub.
School food standards: resources for schools
School food standards, with guidance for administrators, a poster example, and a healthy eating checklist.
The School Food Trust: transforming school lunches in England
Reports evidence of the improvements in provision, choice and consumption of food in schools following the introduction of legislation and a national programme of work to change catering practices and the attitudes of pupils, parents and others to healthier food provision in schools. It also provides objective evidence of the impact of healthier food on […]
Effectiveness of school food environment policies on children’s dietary behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Systematic review includes 12 studies evaluating school meal standards implemented in the US, Canada, or UK, which were found to: increase fruit intake, reduce total fat, saturated fat, and sodium (but not total calories), and decrease BMI (although other adiposity measures evaluated were unchanged).
Eating well for under-5s in child care: Practical and nutritional guidelines
Guide on nutrient-based standards and menu plans for children under 5, with implementation guidance.
Population-level interventions in government jurisdictions for dietary sodium reduction: a Cochrane Review
Describes the impact of population-level dietary sodium reduction interventions and concludes that multicomponent initiatives taking a structural approach (such as public procurement policies), have the potential to reduce dietary salt intake.
Healthy school meals and educational outcomes
Provides evidence on the effects of diet on educational outcomes, using a campaign lead in the UK in 2004, which introduced changes in the meals offered in schools – shifting from low-budget processed meals toward healthier options. Educational outcomes improved significantly in English and Science, and authorized absences, which are most likely linked to illness […]
Audits and Inspections Toolkit (2011)
Checklist for schools and catering providers to demonstrate compliance with school food standards.