From September 1, 2026, schools and kindergartens will be required to follow new child nutrition rules described as the “planetary diet.” Menus will include a mandatory plant-based lunch once a week, more legume-based dishes, soups made with vegetable stock, and the option to replace dairy products with plant-based alternatives. “Ideology on the plate. The planetary diet is a concept developed by the EAT-Lancet organization, funded in part by foundations linked to the global movement to reduce meat consumption,” pointed out Paweł Usiądek from Confederation.
The changes being introduced are the result of a regulation signed on February 16, 2026, by the Minister of Health. The regulation, referred to as the “school shop regulation,” will replace the existing 2016 rules and introduce significant changes both in school shops and cafeterias.
According to the ministry, the aim of the new rules is to limit children’s access to highly processed foods rich in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. At the same time, institutions are expected to more strongly promote healthy eating habits based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seasonal and local ingredients.
Emphasis on fully plant-based meals
One of the most important changes will be the requirement to serve a fully plant-based lunch at least once a week. Such a meal is to be based primarily on legumes such as lentils, beans, peas, or chickpeas. The changes also affect soups – at least twice a week they must be prepared using vegetable stock. The document also allows dairy products to be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
This solution aligns with the principles of the so-called planetary diet, which combines health concerns with environmental protection. The planetary diet is a nutritional model that assumes increasing the share of plant-based products while reducing the consumption of meat and highly processed foods.
Institutions across Poland are already sending correspondence to parents regarding the upcoming changes.
“Dear Parents, the kindergarten manager has asked us to pass on the following information. Starting from the 2026/2027 school year, due to a new regulation of the Ministry of Health, new nutritional rules will be introduced in all preschool institutions; planetary nutrition will be implemented. Please take a moment to ознакомиться yourselves with the new rules. Information is available on the ministry’s website. We will discuss these changes, your opinions, and observations during the September parent meetings in each group. Best regards, Deputy Head for Preschool Affairs”, it was stated in one of the messages published online.
“Ideology on the plate”
The planned changes in children’s nutrition in schools and kindergartens have sparked considerable controversy. Among those who commented on the issue was Paweł Usiądek, a politician from Confederation (Konfederacja).
“Ideology on the plate. From September, schools are introducing the planetary diet! Instead of meat – a soy substitute. […] What does this mean in practice? At least once a week, a lunch in the school cafeteria must be ‘fully plant-based, based on legumes.’ Soy, chickpeas, lentils – instead of a pork chop. The Ministry of Health has even published a special e-book ‘Legumes Are Healthy’ and ‘A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Diets'”, he wrote.
He also added that the planetary diet is a concept developed by EAT-Lancet, funded in part by foundations linked to the global movement to reduce meat consumption.
“It assumes a drastic reduction of meat in the diet – to 14 grams of red meat per day – and replacing it with plant protein. The regulation also allows dairy products to be replaced with ‘plant-based alternatives.’ The goal: saving the climate. Parents were not asked for their opinion; they were (at least some of them) kindly informed about ideological changes in children’s nutrition. Confederation says it clearly: children’s nutrition is a decision for parents, not ministers and global climate organizations”, the politician indicated.
Oskar Szafarowicz from Law and Justice (PiS), in turn, assessed that introducing the planetary diet in schools and kindergartens “is a total absurd, contrary to proper principles of nutrition.”