Much has been made of the state of the accommodation at the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village in India, but what about the food?

With a son who plays football to quite a high level and rugby-loving husband, I’ve visited many different sports stadiums of all shapes and sizes from park pitches to Wembley. But the one thing they all have in common is the food. It’s universally dreadful.

After many a football match at clubs where they talk about the importance of nutrition to the players, my son is offered chips or a hot dog by the home club. A sandwich is rare and you can forget about fruit or vegetables, the five-a-day are nowhere to be seen. Delia has shown the way with her involvement at Norwich City, but the Canaries’ catering seems to be the exception that proves the rule.

As a spectator I’ve never been tempted to eat anything. Ok, so I don’t really eat meat and I always relish the opportunity to eat lovely fresh vegetables, but I’d be happy with a jacket potato or a good soup, I’m not asking for sushi…..not yet anyway.

Nowadays we’ve moved on as a country food-wise everywhere apart from in sport it appears. Motorway service stations once the bastion of mediocre fast food, now offer Waitrose, M&S, good coffee and salad bars etc.. Better still, music festivals have evolved from burger vans to, in some case, places where the food is as good as you’d find in your local bistro or noodle bar.

So why, when all the evidence shows that a balanced diet combined with physical activity equals a healthy lifestyle, can we not offer the same at sports venues both for those participating and those watching?

With 2012 on the horizon and an opportunity to showcase this country to the rest of the world, please, please, please can we also showcase our food?