There are plenty of chocolate-vending machines in the corridors of Whitehall. I was a regular customer of the machines in the Treasury building until a couple of months ago. I trust that Nanny will set the children a good example and remove these devices from all Government offices. Richard Baron, London

During my school days I took a healthy, balanced packed lunch to school. I was fortunate enough to have been taught first by my parents, then at school about the need for a varied, balanced diet. Despite this, my highlight of the lunch break was a trip to the tuck shop for a chocolate bar or some similar sweety. I've always had a sweet tooth, but it may surprise some Government ministers to hear that I'm not morbidly obese. By all means educate people about food and cut out the salt and sat-fat-laden reheated junk, but let's not stop kids enjoying the odd chocolate bar. Martin McDonnell, Southampton

Many children don't know whether what they are eating is unhealthy or not. It is the responsibility of teachers, as well as parents, to educate them. Linda Wang, Dalian, China

It is perfectly natural that government and society consider it reasonable to ostracise smokers, making them stand out in the rain when smoking, and generally treating them as social outcasts, that we start to ostracise fat folk as well. Ban fat folk from restaurants, and make them stand in the rain whenever they wish to eat cakes and crisps. Either that, or start behaving with a little more compassion and a little less fanaticism in both respects. Richard Sullivan, London

So, another edict from our brilliant Secretary of State for education. Many parents have been concerned about junk food in schools for years - but did their views have any weight until the Government was publicly embarrassed? Unsurprisingly, independent schools (who are answerable to their fee-paying parents) have served proper food for years, often using contract caterers. So it's nothing to do with contracting out, it's to do with the fact that catering budgets have been squeezed in the state sector while there has been plenty of money to pay, for example, the extra 5 per cent of salary into the teachers' pension fund so that they could continue to retire at 60 on index-linked pensions. Producer interest dominates and to hell with the consumer of these services. The solution is freedom from government interference and schools competing for and answerable to parents. Huw Jenkins, Wokingham

Shocking. It's a shame Labour feel the need to be so draconian over it all. Teach people that healthy food tastes better and that junk food is made with ... junk ... and they'll take it upon themselves to eat healthily. Banning junk is just an easy, cheap way for the Government to sort things out. I agree that it's time that some school canteens offered the option of healthy food, but we're talking about young people here - not morons. James Hamilton, Newark, Nottinghamshire

School meals used to have to be nutritionally balanced and there was little choice in what we could eat. Interesting how we have come full circle. Of course school meals should be healthy, and of course children should not have access to junk food if only because it makes them hyperactive and difficult to teach. Children get used to things very quickly and if the option of junk was not there they would not miss it. The system will never be perfect but let's give it a go. Benia Kuczynska, Nottingham

And the Government really think this will work? No. If school kids want fatty food like crisps, etc, they will simply stop at a corner shop on their way to school and bring the stuff into school with them. School kids will always find a way to eat what they want ... rules are made to be broken. Richard Green, Southampton

Schools should definitely have healthier food. We may have complained 40 years ago about school dinners, but we had milk and a bun at break time and walked to school. We were never fat. Plus, we had to have a letter if we didn't do sports or gym. Now children are driven to school, take junk lunch-boxes and play on computers. It all speaks for itself. Valerie Antonietti, Sidcup

I think it is excellent that the problem of junk food in schools is being taken so seriously. However, I think a ban is too extreme. If we prevent children from having these foods they will be more inclined to try them elsewhere. Children should be educated about the risks and allowed to make their own decisions. Not allowing them to make a decision is no way to set them up for adulthood. Hannah Skilton, Cardiff

When you were at school had you ever seen a "smiley face"? Of course not. The only smiley faces to be seen were those of (some of) the dinner ladies as they mashed and boiled food to oblivion. But at least it was food and not reconstituted guck. My point is, if you have never seen a smiley face or the odious turkey twizzler, how can you miss it? If junk food is simply not an option, you eat what is given and hide the cabbage under your fork. If these foods are obliterated from the school menu now, it will only take a few years for a new generation of school children to be eating proper food. Mathias Lane, Ipswich

Forcing healthy food on children in schools is not only undesirable but impossible. The two major conclusions from the Jamie Oliver series were that junk food is bad for children and that it is necessary to convince children that they should be eating healthier food. His suggestion - which appeared to work for all but the most stubborn youngsters - was to teach children about food, make it part of school life and introduce them to the benefits of eating healthily while demonstrating the disgusting nature of such much fast food. Keith Downer, London

I am a primary school teacher and see overweight children daily. The teachers on our staff finally complained loudly enough and the school no longer serves chips, cookies, and sodas at break time. Many of our kids receive free lunches and breakfast and are victims of meals that consist mainly of sugar and fat. This is an epidemic everywhere. Parents and professionals who deal with children must speak up. Our children's future is at stake. Kim Righetti, Upland, California

I'm GLAD schools are being told to offer a healthier option at lunch times. I'm fed up of standing in my lunch queue and having the same "option" of chips with some other factory-produced rubbish. A few specimens of economy fruit on the side is not enough. I'd like to eat something that doesn't contain anything with "-ose", "E-", or "-concentrate". Katie Paddock, Walsall

It is truly a sad indictment of the decline of values in modern Britain that a government feels the need to legislate on such an issue. We should all know instinctively that feeding our children rubbish food is a bad idea. We should hang our heads in shame that laws are required to guard our children against junk food while at school. Paul Pickering, Camberley, Surrey

This is not just a school problem, and giving responsibility to head teachers to ensure that their pupils eat healthily drives more and more able teachers from the profession. They did not sign up to be nannies. If children were educated at home about what they should eat and why, they would have a healthy diet irrespective of whether a teacher or was breathing down their necks. Name and address withheld

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