She told school meal workers at a conference in London, organised by public sector union Unison, that catering staff had been taken for granted, and promised 'a new vocational qualification that will recognise for the first time their crucial skills and experience'.
The courses, developed by the Learning and Skills Council, will start in September.
Ms Kelly also said that 'cheap processed bangers and burgers' and other unhealthy foods could be banned from menus under new minimum nutrition standards developed by the Government's school meals review panel, to be applied from the autumn and mandatory by September 2006.
Ms Kelly said, 'No one wants to serve up cheap slop. We have to reverse a trend where a majority eat too much fat, sugar and salt and only a minority eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. If there is a vicious circle, we will break it.'
Unison members backed the idea of extra training but warned that the workforce would have to expand.
Christian McAnea, Unison's head of education services, said, 'Staff have been doing their best with the resources and time available, but we want them to be given the time to cook meals from scratch. This can only be done by increasing the hours they work and employing more people.'
Charlie Powell, campaign co-ordinator for the Sustainalliance for better food and farming, said recent Government action on school meals did not go far enough, with spending on school meals 'still three times less per child' than the Scottish Executive's Hungry for Success scheme.
He called for a children's food Bill, a ban on vending machines and food advertising in schools, and 'food education at the heart of the curriculum'.