Primary school pupils from Mill Hill were encouraged to veg out on Friday in a bid to promote healthy eating.

But far from being an excuse for the 30 Year 3 pupils from Fairway Primary School to sit back, the unusual class was a chance for children to learn about the health benefits of vegetables.

The lively food lesson, held at the Jolly Badger Harvester, was the first of its kind to be held in the country as part of the restaurant's Fantastic Food scheme.

Jan Parker, headteacher at the school, in The Fairway, said: "We have had a push on healthy eating for about three years and I thought it was a good way to get the children to learn about it and make a difference to what they eat.

"A lot of children don't have a healthy dinner at home and the only time they eat vegetables is at school, so they have started making their own salads as part of the project and hopefully it will spur them on to enjoy more vegetables."

A Harvester spokeswoman said: "The pack allows teachers to take children on a journey through food and healthy eating helping them discover what makes a balanced diet."

The lessons are tied in with design and technology, science and citizenship classes, and Ms Parker said pupils were even starting to enjoy their greens.

"So many children don't eat any vegetables at all and often if they get the chance to taste them they then realise they quite like them," she added.

"It is important they learn how nutritious vegetables are and they understand that a healthy diet is important to them."