The ministry says the regulation "favours the implementation of the planetary diet" – a model that aims to balance human health with environmental sustainability.
The regulations, replacing rules last updated in 2016, will apply to more than 6.8 million pupils across nearly 36,000 schools and kindergartens nationwide.
Under the new guidelines, fresh meat will be served twice a week.
At least one meal per week must be fully plant-based, built around legumes such as lentils or chickpeas.
Schools will be required to offer plant-based alternatives alongside meat and fish dishes, two soups per week must use vegetable stock, and menus should favour seasonal and local produce.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from right-wing politicians.
A lawmaker from the Law and Justice (PiS) party shared a graphic showing a crossed-out pork chop, eggs and dairy products, claiming the new rules amounted to "a diet devoid of animal product".
A politician from the far-right Confederation party called it "ideology on a plate."
According to fact-checking website Demagog, those claims are inaccurate.
The planetary health diet does permit moderate amounts of meat, dairy, fish and eggs.
The dietary pattern was developed in 2019 by the EAT-Lancet Commission, an international panel of scientists.
It emphasises plant-based foods while permitting moderate amounts of meat, dairy, fish and eggs, with a particular focus on reducing red and processed meat consumption.
A 2025 commission analysis suggested a global shift to this pattern of eating could prevent around 15 million premature deaths a year.
The ministry says the changes are intended to reduce obesity among children and lower the risk of chronic disease in later life.
(ał)
Source: demagog.org.pl, tvn24.pl