PUPILS will be banned from bringing cooked food bought outside of schools into the playground.

The move comes as part of an overhaul of school dinners in Glasgow.

Education chiefs are to launch a city-wide consultation into how and what children and young people are eating during the school day.

Councillor Stephen Curran, Executive Member for Education and Young People, said: "We pride ourselves in delivering a top-notch school meal service every day in Glasgow.

"Our city is also sector-leading in a number of innovative school meal initiatives that has seen uptake increase over the last few years."

Currently, school catering is contracted out to Cordia, an arm's-length council company.

Dinner halls, now dubbed Fuel Zones, feed more than 63,000 children every day.

Council bosses have now released a School Meals Action plan that will be sent to parents across the city for feedback.

Among the plans, it states all schools should establish a School Nutrition Action Group, to involve youngsters in school meal provision.

Parents will also receive new guidance from Cordia about packed lunches.

As part of the plan , pupils will not be allowed to bring cooked, prepared food which they have purchased outside of school on to the school premises for consumption.

Fuel Zones will be rebranded and could get new furniture and tablewear.

All primary and S1 pupils will remain on site during the school lunch break, unless they are going home for lunch with the agreement of their parents.

S2 pupils will also be urged to stay in school during breaks.

And Cordia has been tasked with attending school parents' evenings, revamping their website and updating staff training.

Mr Curran added: "The draft food policy has been written on the back of an audit of our practice and, in conjunction with Cordia, we are now seeking the views of schools, parents and catering managers.

"Their views will shape a food policy that will serve the needs of all our pupils."

Currently, all school meals must conform to specific nutritional standards set down by the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act (2007).

This restricts the levels of salt, fat and sugar permitted in school meals and bans certain foods from sale.

The Act places health promotion at the heart of all school activities, weaving it in to the daily classroom curriculum.

Education bosses have also carried out an audit of how food is served in city schools.

They found pupils are learning about food: where it comes from; how it is produced; what influences food choices and preferences; and the impact that food has on health, wellbeing and the environment.

Now education bosses want all food and drink available in schools to be a model of healthy eating.

They want pupils to be more actively involved in school meal choices.

It is also planned to make mealtimes more social, a time that pupils can look forward to.

Soryia Siddique, Labour Councillor for Southside Central, said: "A food policy consultation is to be welcomed.

"Food source, sustainability and nutrition is important for pupils to shape understanding and responsible, healthy choices.

"These are habits that can shape their adult life.

"The consultation will include schools and parent councils, aiming towards a dining experience that is enjoyable, nutritional, positive and sociable."

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk