Short cooking classes can have a long-term impact on healthy eating, a study suggests.

Questioning of parents who took part in government-funded courses in Scotland showed they ate more fruit and vegetables and fewer ready meals a year later.

Participants were also more confident about following a simple recipe.

The University of Glasgow researchers said refresher courses would boost the effects further.

There are numerous locally-funded programmes to improve cooking and nutrition skills around the UK but, until now, there has been little data on any long-term effects.

The study looked at courses lasting between four and eight weeks for parents of pre-school children.

Classes included information on budgeting, nutrition and cooking simple meals.

Questionnaires filled in immediately after the courses showed an immediate boost in participants' confidence in cooking, preparing and trying new foods, researchers reported in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

But the researchers were more interested in whether these effects remained months down the line.

It is just laziness and convenience that drives people to use ready meals. They'd rather watch East Enders or Corrie than spend time cooking a fresh meal.

Frozen veg can be useful. I use them in my chilli's. It is easier to use frozen veg when you only need a small quantity. Though I mainly use fresh veg and keep the frozen for emergencies.

Yeah, I exaggerated a little - we use frozen peas and frozen sweetcorn and occasionally frozen chips. My main gripe is for the likes of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and cabbage etc.. all of which are bloody awful and are almost tasteless. Those frozen veg steam bags aren't as bad, but still not a patch on fresh veg.