The Regulations are based on the five food groups set out in the "Balance of Good Health":

• Fruit and vegetables
• Starchy Foods
• Meat, fish and other non-dairy sources of protein
• Milk and dairy foods
• Foods containing fat and foods containing sugar

The Regulations refer only to the first four food groups, and set out the following requirements:

Food must be available from each of the first four food groups.

One option must be available from each of the first four food groups and :-

• Fruit and a vegetable must be available every day. Fruit based desserts must be available twice a week
• Food from the starch group which is cooked in fat or oil must not be on offer on more than three days a week
• Red meat must be served at least twice a week and fish at least once a week.

Cheese dishes may be included in the meat/fish protein group.

Two options must be available from the first four groups and:-

• A fruit and vegetable must be available every day
• Where a food from the starch group is cooked in fat or oil an alternative starchy food not cooked in this way must also be available
• Red meat must be served at least three times a week and fish at least twice a week.

Special schools will be able to comply with either primary or secondary school standards. This is because of the difficulty of applying either the primary or secondary standards to all age maintained special schools, and also because some small secondary special schools may have difficulty in offering the choice required under the secondary regulations.

A commencement order which will bring into effect section 115 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, requiring that maintained schools provide a paid meal service where parents want one, will also come into effect in April 2001.