LONG gone are the days when the prospect of school dinners sent shivers down pupils' spines. Questionable fish cakes, limp-looking burgers and cold chips are a thing of the past.

Walk into any Hampshire school canteen now and you are met with smiling children, happily tucking into their healthy meals.

There has been a food revolution in school kitchens up and down the county and children are queuing up in droves to eat school dinners.

This month saw the launch of a new summer menu in all 430 primary schools in Hampshire, serving youngsters with their healthiest menus yet.

Schoolchildren are now tucking into a variety of nutritious and delicious meals, from vegetarian chickpea Wellington to organic beefburgers and roast dinners.

Click here to watch the video taste test

The latest menu from Hampshire County Council's catering service, HC3S, aims to change children's eating habits by giving them easier access to healthier foods.

For £1.90 each day, every child can choose from a meat or vegetarian option and parents can be sure that their child is getting one-third of the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals.

Evelyn Cook, food development officer for HC3S, said: "Introducing a summer menu means that the children are getting a wide variety of flavours and different choices.

"The emphasis on healthy eating is important and it's particularly beneficial to get them trying new foods at an early age before they get into bad habits."

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Putting the new menu to the test were the children at Cherbourg Primary School in Eastleigh, where the number of pupils choosing school meals is rising every year.

With full stomachs, empty plates and meatball sauce covering many faces, it was clear that the new menu was well received.

Kitchen supervisor Pauline Howell said: "The children enjoy the variety now that they are starting to eat more fresh food and vegetables and because they get to choose what they want they actually eat everything on their plate.

"What we have to remember is that the image of horrible school dinners was a long time ago and things have changed a lot.

"Even since I've started working here three years ago I've seen the improvement and the increase in numbers of children opting for our meals and loving them.

"We're trying to teach children about healthy eating and parents like to know their child is getting a healthy meal. Not all children get a home-cooked meal so we provide it for them here."

The numbers prove that the children are enjoying what they eat.

Between the autumn terms of 2006 and 2007, more than 1,500 extra children in Hampshire ate school dinners, rising from 27,787 to 29,371.

The campaign for healthier school meals was initially spearheaded by TV chef Jamie Oliver.

Julie Greer, head teacher at Cherbourg Primary, said: "I think initially, with the Jamie Oliver drive, there was a lot of scepticism among parents.

"Now they are much more accepting and are happy to embrace healthy eating, which is all part of our ethos in school."

Mrs Greer says at least 40 more of her pupils have taken up school meals since September.

"The reaction has been really positive, which is shown in the rise of children taking up school meals at lunchtime. It also helps that Pauline is an excellent cook and has a wonderful team.

"A lot of our parents work so it's satisfying for them to know that their child has eaten at least one healthy meal a day."

The menu works on a threeweek rotational basis of three menus, with two different dishes set for each day to ensure that the children get a variety of meals.

With all the talk about food I thought it was only fair to test it for myself.

I went for the meatballs with rice and pasta It was delicious, and clear why the children look forward to school dinners.

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