Food education should be central to the national curriculum to reverse declines in cooking skills and knowledge, with an “eat and learn” initiative to ensure that children start learning about food earlier, according to a landmark review.

The government-commissioned National Food Strategy, launched today, adds that food lessons must be well-funded and inspected by Ofsted, and that there should be a return of the food A level.

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The nation’s diets need to be transformed so that people eat less sugar, salt and meat in order to save lives and protect the NHS and the environment, it says.

The National Food Strategy warns  thatwhat we eat, and how it is produced, is doing “terrible damage” to the environment and health, contributing to 64,000 deaths a year in England and driving wildlife loss and climate change.

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The independent report, commissioned by the government in 2019, calls for a sugar and salt reformulation tax to cut their use in products and curb obesity, strokes and heart disease.

Some money raised by the tax should be spent on addressing the inequalities around food, such as expanding free school meals to another 1.1 million children who need them, funding holiday activities and food clubs, and providing healthy food to low-income families.

The report also urges the government to run trials giving GPs the option to prescribe fruit and vegetables for patients suffering from poor diets or food insecurity.

The review, led by food entrepreneur Henry Dimbleby, urges the government to “nudge” consumers into changing their habits, while investing in measures such as food additives to reduce methane from livestock and developing alternative proteins.

The report warns that disease caused by poor diets costs the economy an estimated £74 billion a year, and puts a huge strain on the NHS, while the food we eat accounts for around a quarter of greenhouse gases and is the leading driver of habitat and wildlife loss.

To meet existing government targets on health, climate and nature, by 2032 fruit and vegetable consumption will need to increase by 30 per cent and fibre consumption by 50 per cent.

At the same time, consumption of food high in saturated fat, salt and sugar will have to go down by 25 per cent, and meat consumption should reduce by 30 per cent.

The National Food Strategy estimates that its recommendations will cost around £1.4 billion a year and bring in £2.9-3.4 billion a year in direct revenue to the Treasury, with a long-term economic benefit of up to £126 billion.

Mr Dimbleby, founder of the Leon restaurant chain, said: “The food system is a logistical miracle, full of amazing, inventive people.

“With the right leadership from government, it is well within our power to change the system so it makes both us and the planet healthier.

“Currently, however, the way we produce food is doing terrible damage to the environment and to our bodies, and putting an intolerable strain on the NHS.

“Covid-19 has been a painful reality check. Our high obesity rate has been a major factor in the UK’s tragically high death rate.

“We must now seize the moment to build a better food system for our children and grandchildren.”

The report has been backed by campaigners including TV chef Jamie Oliver, who said: “This is no time for half-hearted measures.

“If both government and businesses are willing to take bold action and prioritise the public’s health, then we have an incredible opportunity to create a much fairer and more sustainable food system for all families.

“Of course it’s right every child should have access to healthy and affordable food, no matter where they live, and last year has been a stark reminder that nutritious meals are vital in keeping us all healthy and resilient.”

Independent chair of the School Food Review working group Dr Nick Capstick OBE said: “The National Food Strategy puts school food at the heart of the transformation of our food system. These proposals will mean that more children get access to nourishing, nutritious food and learn the skills and joy of cookery.

“At the system level,l procurement and accountability reform will underpin improvements in standards, if implemented effectively.

“There is now a real moment for government to take these recommendations forward into a root and branch review of school food, as we emerge from Covid.”