As public awareness around food, health, and sustainability deepens, school and care home caterers find themselves at a crossroads. The choices made in kitchens are under growing scrutiny - from parents, residents, regulators and catering teams.
It’s becoming clear that simply meeting minimum nutrition guidelines is not enough and caterers must now be flexible, evolve and lead. Previously the catering industry has relied on compliance focused approaches such as cutting salt, reducing sugar and ticking the required boxes.
But clients are now shifting towards embracing gut-friendly ingredients, increasing the use of vegetables and using natural, minimally processed foods. There’s a growing resistance to ultra-processed food, especially in schools where parents are questioning why such products are on the menu.
We have seen a growing demand for our menu scoring system which assesses sustainability and nutritional quality. Menus are analysed to ascertain how nutritious and sustainable each dish is and they are scored from healthiest to least healthy so clients can easily identify where they can make changes and improvements to create a healthier menu.
This kind of data-driven approach is especially powerful in education and care sectors, where transparency matters. Menus are no longer about just providing an appealing meal at the right price; it is now important to provide nutritious choices that help support the wellbeing of children and residents.
It has also become evident that training is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but it has become a necessity. Staff want to understand the ‘why’ behind the food they serve.
Pop-up health days, hydration workshops and diabetes education are the sorts of initiatives which are helping to foster internal nutrition champions who then advocate nutrition best practice.
Experts, either in-house or consultants, can provide guidance and services ranging from designing allergy-aware menus to creating vegan options aligned with main menus.
They can create bespoke menus for individuals with dysphagia and longevity menus with nutrient-rich dishes that are designed to support long-term health and productivity with a focus on heart health, brain function and energy for ageing individuals.
At AVE, for example, we pro-actively offer solutions that go beyond compliance and we see our role as helping clients stay ahead.
We recognise that nutrition consultancy represents an additional cost, but it can be a worthwhile investment that delivers tangible returns. In schools, expert input can optimise menu planning, reduce food waste, and support pupils’ concentration and long-term health.
In care homes, tailored guidance helps meet complex dietary needs, reducing malnutrition risks and potential hospital admissions. Consultancy helps caterers optimise menus, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with dietary and allergen standards, minimising financial, legal, and reputational risks.
We know the legislation inside out - from School Food Standards to The British Dietetic Association’s Nutrition and Hydration Digest - and our aim is to exceed those standards. This includes running full menu analysis, offering targeted improvement suggestions, and adapting menus to meet specialist and medical dietary needs. As experts, we can provide health ratings and compare recipes to official nutritional needs by age and gender.
Now is the time to ensure that expert guidance and practical tools, such as recipe systems, nutrition scores and training resources, are readily available. By embracing nutritional consultancy, schools and care homes can set a new standard for catering, supporting the health and wellbeing of all those in their care.