Packed lunches 'should be less attractive option'

Head teachers in England are being urged to ban packed lunches to increase the take-up of school dinners and promote healthy eating.

A government-commissioned school food review by two founders of the Leon restaurant chain says take-up is low at 43% despite huge quality improvements.

The authors of the School Food Plan say packed lunches are nearly always less nutritious than a cooked meal.

Henry Dimbleby, one of the report's authors, denies that they are calling for an outright ban on packed lunches in schools, but says: "We do need to make packed lunch the less attractive option."