So, tell me, how come you didn't know that kids were being fed crap and chips every day at school? Forgot to ask? If I had kids at school the first thing I would make sure is that no-one was teaching them (as I was taught) that some guy called God created the world in six days, and secondly I would want to know what they were being fed at lunchtime.
What a child puts in their mouth is as important as what they are being taught, and much of that depends not on schools but on us. A diet low in vitamins and minerals is now linked not just to a child's general health but to hyperactivity, mood swings and, at worse, autism. Andrew Purvis investigates the connection between diet and serious childhood health issues. And the blame doesn't rest with the dinner lady.
One minute we are being derided for the pathetic amount of fish we consume in this country and the next minute blamed for the world's depleting fish stocks. (I have only to think about running a recipe for monkfish or cod and my inbox fills up with emails from Outraged of Islington.) But are we really to blame? Have we suddenly become a nation of raging pescatores? Or could it possibly be that someone else is quietly munching their way through the ocean's bounty? In this month's Food Monthly our man in the East, Alex Renton, heads for Japan to investigate, and discovers that one in 10 fish is eaten by its inhabitants. Worse still, that their insatiable appetite for sushi is virtually wiping out some species of tuna.
No fish left? Then we had better run to the woods and live off nuts and berries. Fergus and Miles are two of the country's top professional foragers, scouring the countryside for everything from bittercress to dandelions for London's most savvy chefs. We follow them on their travels to get the low-down on the next big thing, which, I am told, might just be roast badger. Something tells me it won't be long before we see roadkill on all the smartest menus, bringing a whole new meaning to Michelin stars.
We also have Gavin Henson tackling his chopsticks in Wales, Nicola Formby eating in the street in India, a collection of anti-Atkins, anti-GI pasta recipes, an opera singer's shopping basket and Sunday lunch with the king of leather, Bill Amberg. Now, go and pack that lunchbox.
· Nigel Slater is The Observer's cookery writer
· Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall returns next month
