During last month's general election campaign the Conservatives pledged to scrap the provision of free lunches to all infants and instead offer free breakfasts for all primary school pupils.
But speaking in the House of Commons, schools minister Nick Gibb confirmed that the government had backtracked on the plans after taking into account opposition from those in the education sector.
"We have listened very carefully to the views of the sector on the proposal to remove infant free school meals and we have decided that it is right to retain the existing provision," Gibb told MPs.
"Universal infant free school meals ensure that children receive a nutritious meal during the day. It saves hardworking families hundreds of pounds a year and it boosts educational achievement, especially amongst children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds."
The likelihood of a U-turn on the issue became apparent when the plans were omitted from last month's Queen's Speech, along with a number of other controversial election promises, including allowing new grammar schools to open.
The Conservative manifesto had said that removing an entitlement for all children in the first three years of school to receive a free lunch would help fund an extra £4bn of education spending by 2022.
The free school meals climbdown has been welcomed by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT).
"The government is right to retain free school lunches. It's right because the policy improves children's school results. It's right because children's diet improves. And it's right because struggling families save much-needed money so incentives to work are strengthened," said CPAG chief executive Alison Garnham.
"With child poverty rising fast, axing a policy that improves children's wellbeing would not have made sense, and jarred with parents across the country."
NUT general secretary Kevin Courtney said: "This is a victory for all those who campaigned to retain free school meals for all infant children. It is hard to credit that a Conservative government was seriously considering taking the food off young children's plates."
The universal infant free school meal policy was developed by the Liberal Democrats while in coalition government and introduced in 2014.
Liberal Democrat shadow education secretary Layla Moran said: "I believe the government are right to ditch this damaging proposal, which would have seen more than a million children - including many who are living in poverty - deprived of a hot, healthy meal in the middle of the school day.
"The Liberal Democrats fought to introduce free school lunches for all infant school pupils during the coalition because it has been shown to boost health and educational outcomes and because we want to ensure every child gets the best start in life.
"Now we urge the government to go further and extend free school lunches to all primary pupils, to ensure these benefits are even more widely felt."
