The National Youth Agency: Comment - The importance of eating the right food

And not merely in an unavoidably finger-wagging "put down that burger and eat fresh fruit" sense, but food as a key source of sensual pleasure, as a shared ritual and as a means of bonding.

One reason for returning to the topic is what is, in some respects, a fairly minor piece of research from the School Food Trust. This government-sponsored body, chaired by Great British Menu judge and all-round food legend Prue Leith, has a remit to promote improvements to the food served in schools. Its latest little study looked at how changes to school lunches led to improvements in the ability of students to focus on learning in the afternoon. That could be news to anyone who has had to speak at a conference in that notorious graveyard slot after the lasagne and cheesecake, but in other ways it is common sense on the RIRO principle of "rubbish in, rubbish out". But here's the particularly interesting part of the study: the trust was not making a simplistic argument about nutritional balance leading to increased brain power, but rather it speculated that improvements to the dining arrangement also made an impact. Making the decor of the room more attractive, improving queuing arrangements and putting pictures on menu cards actually heightened the experience of making a positive, healthy choice. The trust's researchers say it could be something akin to self-esteem that's sending pupils back to class with renewed focus.