The fresh produce industry has been given a boost by a commitment from the government to ban junk food in school meals.
From September, according to new standards announced by the Department of Education and Skills, schools will serve a minimum of two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal.
Chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and "low-quality" meat will be outlawed, the government announced.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson promised to "undo decades of neglect" and improve pupils' health.
Johnson said: "These new standards will ensure that healthy eating is the norm in every school.
"The health of our young people is not an area for compromise.
"Providing pupils with a healthy balanced meal that will give them the energy, vitamins and minerals they need to learn and play is essential, but we will go further, helping schools to teach every pupil skills in diet, nutrition, practical food preparation and cooking to ensure they make the right choices throughout life."
Last year the government promised £280m to improve school meals. This is aimed at ensuring a minimum of 50p per head for school meal ingredients of in primary schools and 60p for secondaries.
From 2008, primary schools will be told to impose "more stringent nutrient-based standards" - stipulating vitamin and mineral content. Secondary schools will follow a year later.
Kevin McKay, the chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, told Radio Five Live what the guidelines would mean in practice.
"Certain things like fried products will be down to twice a week and certain other elements are being banned from vending machines; confectionery, snack sales, those areas," he said.
"And then what we're expecting is to have some nutrient-based standards; a meal will have to meet certain regulations as far as the nutrients, so we're talking levels of iron, calcium and fat levels."
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