Schoolchildren should eat what they're given, says foodie Prue Leith, who today will advise the government to reduce the amount of choice given to children over school lunches. The former chef and food advisor, who is speaking at a conference on a school meals, says that in the main children should be offered just one hot meal and one salad.

She'll point to the fact that Britain's schoolchildren were last at their healthiest during World War II rationing. 'It is a lot of nonsense to have so much choice. People were healthiest just after the war, when the last thing children had was choice. It is confusing and leads to limited variety, because the same dishes need to be on offer. By changing the menu completely each day you are actually getting more variety and children are eating healthily.'

The conference takes place just as the government are about to announce new nutritional guidelines for school dinners which will start from the next academic year. It's expected that children must have two portions of fruit and vegetables a day and fried food will be restricted.

In response, a spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills told the press: 'We think children should have choice because that way they learn. But the only choices they will have will be healthy choices.'

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