He tightened school lunch rations.

GD&TĐ - The British government wants to expand the free school meals program to reduce child poverty.

But catering providers are struggling to maintain quality and portion sizes due to rising costs and insufficient budgets to cover them.

Michael Hales, the new chairman of the Association of School Food Advisors (LACA) in the UK, said that school lunch providers now have to make "difficult decisions" to balance budget and nutritional needs. LACA currently provides around 3 million school lunches daily in England.

However, the government 's financial support, currently at £2.61 per meal, only covers a fraction of the actual cost. According to LACA's survey, the real cost of providing a complete school meal is around £3.45, which is 80 pence higher than the subsidized amount.

Budget constraints directly impact the quality of meals for millions of children. Of the 67 suppliers surveyed by LACA, 17 admitted to reducing portion sizes, 35 cutting back on menu options, and 38 replacing meat with cheaper protein sources. Another 56 suppliers had to adjust their formulas to reduce costs.

At St Mary's Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent, Headteacher Clare Morton has had to spend an extra £45,000 a year to cover the shortfall from government funding. This money could have been used to hire an additional support staff member, but Ms. Morton insists: “Ensuring the children are well-fed is far more important. For many children, this is their only hot meal of the day. Without healthy, nutritious food, children cannot learn well.”

Meanwhile, the British government announced that from September 2026, it will expand its free meal program to include children from all families receiving state benefits. Previously, in addition to eligibility for benefits, income was also a factor considered.

The new decision is expected to help an additional 500,000 children qualify for free meals. However, many in the industry worry that the program will increase the financial burden on schools if the level of support does not increase accordingly.

Ms. Morton warned that as the program expands, the number of parents contributing financially to student care will decrease sharply, further increasing the financial burden. The UK government needs to recognize the clear discrepancy between the level of funding and the actual cost of raising students.

From the parents' perspective, concerns about nutritional quality are also growing. Parent Mandy Mazliah stated, “We need serious investment from the government in school meals, not only to ensure nutrition but also to create a safe, nutritious food environment at school.”

According to the BBC

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