In a report card on canteen fare, 263 schools across the country had their menus analysed by Monash University and VicHealth.

Less than 30 per cent of primary schools and less than 19 per cent of secondary schools surveyed complied with nutrition guidelines. But in the ACT, the figure was just 5 per cent - the worst result in the country.

In the ACT, 19 school menus were analysed and the results showed 37 per cent of food items were deemed ''green'' or healthy, while 60 per cent were ''amber'' or needing moderation, and 3 per cent were ''red'' or not recommended for sale in school. Ten of the ACT schools offered cakes, ice-creams and lollies.

The Parents' Jury report found vast differences in compliance to national nutritional guidelines among the states and territories, with Western Australia - where nutritional standards have been made mandatory by the government - leading the way with 62 per cent of surveyed menus adhering to the state's healthy food and drink policy.

South Australia had 35 per cent of menu items considered healthy food, while the Northern Territory had 29 per cent.

Victoria and Queensland were among the worst performers after the ACT, achieving 16 per cent and 18 per cent of healthy food offerings respectively.

The Parents' Jury manager, Corrina Langelaan, said it was disappointing that in spite of the healthy eating messages consistently taught in schools, the survey found 56 per cent of all surveyed menus featured chocolate or other forms of confectionary, more than 96 per cent featured pastry products as a regular part of the menu and more than 38 per cent of menus featured soft drinks.

Nutrition Australia's ACT head, Lyn Brown, said that although The Parents' Jury ACT sample was small, the results fitted with research by Nutrition Australia on food offered in Canberra canteens. Of the more than 80 canteens in operation in the ACT, Ms Brown said 27 had had their menus reviewed by Nutrition Australia and 57 had accessed the service for advice. Only two schools - Florey and Giralang Primary - had weeded out all ''red'' food.

Ms Brown said the difference between the ACT and Western Australia was the government commitment and support to professional training and support in the WA school system.

The ACT government signed up to the national partnership on healthy food in schools in 2011, and contracted Nutrition Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, to help advise school canteens on producing healthier menus.

But the ACT School Canteen Association said the bigger problem was the demise of the canteen altogether due to lack of volunteers and financial support from the ACT government.

Association chairwoman Debbie Tobin said it was unhelpful that The Parents' Jury put out negative ratings on ACT food when canteens were catering to demand from parents.

''It is very easy to criticise a school menu but let's not forget that in primary schools, parents are the ones making the lunch orders and they are the consumers, so if you are going to change things you need to educate the parents.

''It would be fine to have a canteen with fresh-cooked healthy food but then you have to make sure that people are actually going to part with their money to buy it.'' Ms Tobin said the association was preparing to wind up this week due to continued financial pressure and lack of support for local canteens, noting that many exemplary canteen managers had devoted years of unpaid labour to feeding children across the ACT.

The association has lobbied for the ACT government to pay the salary for canteen managers and help support the equipment and running costs of canteens, but school communities and schools themselves are currently funding the operations.

The ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations has been trying to help canteens move onto a more sustainable financial footing and said it had just signed up to be part of NSW procurement processes which would, by midyear, allow canteens to source fresh food supplies up to 25 per cent cheaper than in the past.

P&C treasurer Hugh Boulter said he hoped to help save the school canteens and move them onto a more viable footing and the council was continuing a high-level ministerial council with the ACT government on the issue.