How to get better at food photography?

Do you need a certain lens to get really good food photos? I have a nikon d3100.anyones tips to get better photos would be much appreciated!

Food photography is no different to any other portrait photography except you can eat the subject LOL. The same lighting, composition etc.etc. It's a long list, still apply. 80% (at least) of what is important to the image happens external to the camera.

Your camera/ lens combo merely records what you put in front of it. Putting a higher quality lens onto the front of your camera doesn't make the lighting or composition etc.etc. Any better, it may record with more accuracy, a wide aperture lens will mean you can get less depth of field, but that's all it will do. Equipment won't make you into a photographer, only knowledge and practice will do that.

Lighting is so important, my advice is to set up a plate of food on a table and just play around with a movable light, try direct light (like a torch beam), diffused light as you get on a cloudy day, try altering the angle of the light on the subject, notice that all of the above alter the shadows and the edges of the shadows, light modifiers alter the shadows the highlights are always the same.

Everything from the light behind the subject (all shadow no highlight a silhouette), to the light from the camera position (no shadow and all highlight) and everything in between.

Notice that a large light source close to the subject gives you very soft edged shadows, a small light from far away gives you hard edged shadows.

Shadows give depth to an image, make it 'pop'. Learn how to control them and your images (not just food images) will take on a whole new dimension.