Fife high schools will be serving up more healthy choices in their canteens over the coming months as they strive to meet new requirements set out by the Scottish Government.

Crisps and chocolate will be banned in favour of more fresh fruit and vegetables in line with legislation due to come into force in August 2009.

Fife Council - which has already made a number of healthy changes to school menus - has set itself the challenge of meeting the requirements for secondary schools by February, six months ahead of schedule.

The legislation on food standards was brought in for all primary schools in August this year, however, local authorities were given a longer period to reform secondary school menus because of the difficulties of setting a healthy eating agenda for older pupils.

The government last week launched a guide to implementing the changes to help catering staff make the transition, including advice on increasing fruit and veg uptake, and guidance on how to calculate vitamin, fat and sugar content in food.

Keith Breasley, Fife Council's catering services officer, said: "The guide includes a number of innovative ideas in which to promote healthier choices by our school pupils.
"There has been an extensive daily menu in our primary schools for some time now which has been analysed to meet the new nutritional requirements. "Uptake remains buoyant and the healthy message continues to be delivered by teachers and caterers. However, the high schools present more of a challenge."

Fife's high schools have already introduced healthy meals such as pasta, baked potatoes, salad boxes and sandwiches, and chips have been limited to twice a week, served only as part of a meal. Confectionery and cans of fizzy drinks have also been banned already. Mr Breasley added: "The next phase will be to remove all home baking which contains chocolate and any drinks not fruit, water or milk based. Crisps will not be available at lunchtime from the new term."

By February high schools in Fife will be serving at least two types of fruit, offering no more than three deep-fried foods each week, including chips, providing additional bread, and banning table salt, all confectionery products and crisps.

The new requirements have raised concerns about the impact on the uptake of school meals - revealed to have dropped in secondary schools since the Scottish Government launched its 'Hungry for Success' programme five years ago. However, it is hoped a gradual transition to healthier menus in Fife can maintain the region's relatively high level of take up for school meals, measured at 60 per cent of pupils compared to a national average of 46 per cent.