Dietary standards for school catering in France: serving moderate quantities to improve dietary quality without increasing the food-related cost of meals.

Objective: To assess the impact on food-related cost of meals to fulfill the new compulsory dietary standards for primary schools in France.

Design: A descriptive study assessed the relationship between the level of compliance with the standards of observed school meals and their food-related cost. An analytical study assessed the cost of series of meals published in professional journals, and complying or not with new dietary standards.