Jamie's School Dinners first aired on TV

Not since Jamie's School Dinners first aired on TV two years ago have kids' meals been such a hot topic. With an estimated 1.7million children in England alone predicted to be obese by 2010, should we be doing more to keep our kids healthy - or are we making a fuss over nothing? Here, two mums reveal what their children ate last week.

Convenience food family "I see what's in the freezer and put it with chips" NAME Steven Critchlow AGE 12 HEIGHT 5ft 2in WEIGHT 8st 7lb, at risk of obesity CALORIES 2,500 a day, 300 a day over recommended amount SALT 8g a day, about twice the recommended daily amount Monday Breakfast 1 large bowl of Coco Pops with sugar and semi-skimmed milk. Two slices of white toast with butter. Glass of full-sugar squash. Lunch 1 large white bap with egg mayo. 1 bag of crisps. Glass of squash. Can of cola. Dinner Pork casserole with 1/2 plate of chips and ketchup. 4 glasses of squash. Tuesday Breakfast Large egg mayo bap, crisps, cola. Lunch Two jacket potatoes with coleslaw, butter and cheese. Banana. Glass of squash. Dinner McDonald's Chicken Deli Sandwich, large fries and large cola. 4 glasses of squash. Wednesday Breakfast Large egg mayo bap, crisps and chocolate. Squash. Lunch Pasta with tomato and basil sauce. 2 glasses of squash. Dinner Chicken burger with mayo. Chips with gravy and salad. 3 glasses of squash. Thursday Breakfast Large bowl of Coco Pops with sugar and semi-skimmed milk. Two slices of white toast with butter. Squash. LunchHam sandwich on white bread with mayo. Crisps. Can of cola. Squash. Dinner Large Yorkshire pudding with stewed meat, carrots, leek and turnip. 4 glasses of squash. Friday Breakfast Large egg mayo bap with can of cola, bag of crisps. Lunch 2 small jacket potatoes with cheese, butter, beans and salad with salad cream. 2 glasses of squash. Dinner Chinese belly pork with salad, large jacket potato with salad cream. 3 glasses of squash. Saturday Breakfast Large bowl of Rice Krispies with sugar and semi-skimmed milk. Two slices of white toast with butter. Squash. LunchLarge ham bap with mayo, crisps, chocolate. Cola. Squash. Dinner 2 sausages, 1/2 plate of chips, beans, ketchup. 3 glasses of squash. Sunday Breakfast Large bowl of Coco Pops with sugar and semi-skimmed milk. Two slices of white toast with butter. Glass of squash. Lunch Roast pork with crackling, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli, turnips, gravy. 3 glasses of squash. Dinner Ham sandwich, crisps. 2 glasses of squash. Snacks 9 chocolate bars, 13/4 packets of Malted Milk biscuits, 3 chocolate rolls, 4 bags of crisps, 2 ham and mayo sandwiches. Apples. Bananas. TOT 17,500 caories

Vegetarian family "I'll throw chocolate away so my girls can't eat it" NAME Esteira Hiwaizi AGE 13 HEIGHT 5ft 4in WEIGHT 7st, fit and healthy for her age CALORIES 1,845 a day, her recommended daily amount SALT 3g a day, a perfect amount Monday Breakfast Sainsbury's Hot Oat cereal with organic soya milk and maple syrup. Water. Lunch Miso soup made with tofu, seaweed and wholewheat noodles. Organic yoghurt. Water. Dinner Roasted vegetables. Spicy mixed organic beans. Organic banana. Water. Tuesday Breakfast Mixed fruit - apples, pears, satsumas, bananas. Glass of water. LunchHoumous and salad in wholewheat pitta. Small pack of mixed nuts and dried fruit. Apple. Glass of water. Dinner Home-made minestrone soup with quinoa. Wholewheat bread with organic margarine. Orange juice. Wednesday Breakfast Hot Oat of cereal with organic soya milk. Glass of organic orange juice. Lunch Avocado and salad sandwich on wholemeal bread. Dried pineapple pieces. Organic strawberry and banana smoothie. Glass of water. Dinner Vegetarian sausages with roasted carrots, broccoli, parsnips, leeks. Pear. Glass of water. Thursday Breakfast Two slices of wholewheat toast, organic margarine and honey. Water. LunchSpicy squash soup. Wholewheat roll. Satsuma. Glass of water. Dinner Chickpea curry with vegetables. Banana. Water. Friday Breakfast Hot Oat cereal. Orange juice Lunch Baked potato with organic margarine and falafel (made from chickpeas). Organic apple crumble. Glass of water. DinnerWholewheat pasta with home-made tomato sauce. Banana. Water. Saturday Breakfast Mixed fruit with organic yoghurt. Glass of water. Lunch Home-made watercress soup. Wholewheat roll with organic margarine. Glass of organic orange juice. Dinner Roasted vegetables, brown rice, banana. Sunday Breakfast Organic bagels with organic margarine and honey. Orange juice. Lunch Butterbean, mushroom and carrot casserole. Home-made vegan chocolate cake. Water. Dinner Organic wholewheat pitta bread with salad and houmous. Pear. Water. Snacks 2 rice cakes, small organic chocolate bar, 2 organic apples, sugar-free home-made popcorn, 2 pieces organic shortbread. TOTAL 12,915 calories

Convenience mum says:

"I give him choice and freedom"

Mum Julie Critchlow, 44, is a housewife from Rotherham, South Yorks. She hit the headlines when she delivered junk food lunches through school railings after her son's school started dishing up Jamie Oliver's healthy meals.

She says: "I think people should be able to make their own minds up about what they eat, whatever their age.

"It's hard for full-time working parents who haven't always got time to prepare posh, fancy foods from scratch. Steven eats fruit and veg and he has a lot of energy, so I know he will burn it off.

"The main thing for me is giving him choice, freedom and a balanced life.

Steven says: "I wouldn't change my diet. It fills me up and makes me feel good. Mum lets me choose what I want to eat. A Chinese takeaway is my favourite, though."

Vegetarian mum says:

"We eat naturally"

Emma Hiwaizi, 37, runs a parenting magazine called Juno and lives in Ashurst Wood, West Sussex. She says: "I won't let my three girls eat junk food. Their diet is almost entirely organic and as natural as possible.

I wouldn't dream of buying them a ready meal or gooey shop-bought cakes, and I can't stand them having fizzy drinks like cola.

"We don't own a TV, either. I cook most things myself and the girls snack on organic fruit or yoghurt.

"My husband Omaid sometimes comes home with organic bagels made with white flour or Cadbury's chocolate. Once I threw some chocolate away so the girls couldn't eat it.

"I must spend about £150 a week on organic fruit and veg and health food. But it's well worth it. I can't remember the last time any of the girls had to go to the doctor, and they've got so much energy."

Esteira says: "I don't like junk food at all. Once we had to stop for fast food on the way home from Ikea because nowhere else was open, and I had some fries. They didn't smell very nice and they left a bad taste in my mouth, but after I'd eaten them I still ended up wanting more."

What the Sunday experts say . . .

Dr Hilary Jones

Julie and Emma's attitudes are equally extreme and completely opposite. But neither are ideal.

Julie says that she gives Steven whatever he wants whenever he wants, but kids will always make unhealthy choices. His diet is monotonous and fatty, and is storing up problems for later life.

Emma's obsession with organic, vegetarian food is restrictive. Depriving Esteira of the odd Diet Coke or piece of chocolate could lead to misery and secret bingeing. What children need is a varied, balanced diet with plenty of exercise.

The last thing any kid needs is parents who make food the be-all and end-all of their lives.

Nutritionist Monica Grenfell

Steven's diet is nothing but stodge - processed foods, high in saturated fat, refined sugar, salt and low in fibre and vitamins. Kids need fat for healthy growth, but not the hydrogenated fats in biscuits and cakes. Good fats can be found in oily fish, nuts and olive oil. One positive thing is that he gets plenty of iron and protein from eggs, milk and chicken.

Esteira's diet, however, is brilliant - high in energy-giving carbohydrates, with masses of fruit and veg. She also gets plenty of vitamins and fibre from beans, wholegrains and fruit.

A little more calcium could be introduced, from sesame seeds, but the main thing lacking in a strict vegan diet is vitamin B12. This only comes from animal products, so she should take a supplement.

Jamie Oliver

I know it's hard for parents, but kids with a junk food diet aren't getting the right nutrition.