Mention school dinners and most adults shudder involuntarily, as memories of concrete chips smothered in unidentifiable brown gloop return to haunt them.

But since Jamie Oliver launched his one-man crusade against the turkey twizzler, the Government has rethought its approach to feeding the next generation and Gloucestershire County Council has just launched new tastier, healthier menus.

SNJ reporter Alli Pyrah visited Parliament Primary School to see how their meals are squaring up.

The last time I was in a school canteen was in 1992, just before I discovered a good bakery within walking distance of the school gates.

And that was after the dark days of primary school, when we were a captive clientele at the mercy of the dinner ladies and I subsisted almost entirely on chocolate crispy cakes.

Happily, things have moved on since then.

Today, the menu is grilled chicken or home-cooked pizza with carrots, broccoli, potatoes and granary bread. For dessert, there is a choice of flapjack, banana sponge with custard or fresh fruit.

It's certainly nutritious, and it's pretty tasty too. The pizza's better than you could buy at most takeaways and the flapjack tastes like something my mum (who is a good cook) would make.

The kids seem enthusiastic as well and to my surprise they can't seem to get enough of the vegetables - though pizza and chips are still a firm favourite.

"I like broccoli and I like cabbage," said Harry Pearse-Debieux, eight.

"My favourite day is Friday, when there's chips, pizza and broccoli."

Jordan Markey, nine, also gave his lunch the thumbs up and had a suggestion of his own about the menu.

"It was nice," he said. "I like broccoli and carrots and chicken. I like anything.

"What I would really like is some really nice spaghetti bolognese. Now we're talking."

Catering supervisor Fleur Mathews, who has been working in the school kitchen since January, said persuading children to eat healthy foods is just a matter of getting them into good habits.

"There are a few who say they don't want any vegetable, but we put a couple of carrots on their plate so at least we're encouraging them as much as we can," she said.

"With kids, it's often a social thing - if they see their friends eating something, they might decide to try it.

"We cook everything on-site. Everything is fresh and prepared here.

"For some kids, a school dinner is their only square meal of the day.

"So I think what Jamie Oliver has done is brilliant because he's making sure they are getting a well balanced meal."

***The new guidelines for healthy school dinners.

*At least one portion of fruit and vegetables must be available on the menu every day.

*A fruit-based dessert must be available at least twice a week.

*Meat or fish must be available twice a week.

*Starchy foods, or carbohydrates, must be available every day. Cooking these in oil or fat will be restricted to three times a week.

*Deep fried food will be available no more than twice a week.

*Milk-based meals and dairy products will be available every day.

*Only plain water, milk, pure fruit juice, yoghurt or combinations of these will be available to drink.

*Table salt will not be available.