School dinners? They're not all lumpy mash and cold custard these days.

It seems that every day we hear more and more about the obesity epidemic' and how children should be eating healthily to give them the best start in life.

However, as many families are finding out, this is a lot easier said than done.

Well, luckily our schools are doing their best to give us a helping hand. Revolutionary changes to school meals now mean that children between the ages of five and 18 can eat a nutritious meal at school, a far cry from the fatty fast food that, up until a few years ago, was part of everyday school life.

So, what's on the menu? The cultural diversity found in today's school communities, which is evident if you visit any one of Gravesham's primary or secondary schools, means it is only appropriate for pupils to be served dishes from all over the world.

Thai curries, Italian pastas and Chinese stir-fries are likely to be found on the menu of any of Gravesend's schools and, because the menu changes every week in most schools, many children are trying foods they never knew existed, kedgeree for example.

So, not only are lunch times healthier, they also encourage pupils to try new things and broaden their knowledge of foreign cultures and cuisines.

For the traditionalists out there however, fish and chip Friday (well, more accurately fresh fish and oven baked potato wedge Friday) is still a common phenomenon in schools!

How much does this all cost? The average main meal is available from £1.60 to £2.30. This is slightly more expensive than a few years ago (the average price then was £1.10 - £1.50) but to put this into perspective, the new healthier school meals cost around the same as a McDonald's Happy Meal or a sandwich from a high street café.

The new meals are definitely worth this slight increase in price. For just fifty pence extra kids are being served a nutritious, filling and tasty dinner made with fresh vegetables and meat which has been cooked on site by a qualified chef.

Rewind a few years and you may have saved a few pence but you were likely to have been served a cooked-from-frozen processed burger with little nutritional value.

The new school meals improve children's diet, health, cultural awareness and broaden their culinary experiences. With all these benefits it's plain to see the new meals are great value for money and a huge improvement to school life.

By Zoe Dickens, aged 17, Meopham