It found that children are eating double the recommended lunchtime intake of saturated fat and sugar, and up to half the recommended daily intake of salt.
The survey, which looked at 688 home-packed lunchboxes, revealed that the amount of fat in an average child's lunchbox has risen by 3g since last year.
It also found that 48 per cent of lunchboxes contained no portions of fruit or vegetables, and three out of four lunchboxes failed to meet Government nutritional standards set for school meals in 2001.
FSA nutritionist Sam Church said, 'Our findings revealed that children need to eat more starchy foods such as bread, pasta and rice, fruit and vegetables, and dairy foods such as yoghurts.'
The FSA has incorporated these foods into a month's worth of lunchbox suggestions. These include quick and simple recipes that children and parents can make together to stimulate interest in healthy eating and encourage children to try a wide range of foods.
Meanwhile, Glenesk School in Surrey has become one of the first in the country to move over to organic school meals. Headteacher Sue Christie-Hall said, 'Children's diets are quite rightly the focus of much attention in the media. I believe that encouraging children to eat healthily at Glenesk will stand them in good stead for making healthy food choices as adults.
Using organic produce means less pesticides, antibiotics and additives, and more vitamins and minerals, which can only be a bonus.'
Lunchbox suggestions and a copy of the FSA survey can be downloaded from the website www.food.gov.uk.
