Yes, Christ's flesh is TRUE (real) food, and His blood is TRUE (real) drink. I think that what He is saying here is much more than we think! He is saying that His "flesh" and "blood" are more REAL than just physical food and drink. Physical food and drink only provide temporal & physical life, while His "flesh and blood" (representing His death and the shedding of His precious blood) provide eternal life.
You're right about one thing. His Flesh and Blood are more real than just physical food and drink. They are food and drink for the soul. But the point is is that they are REAL food. Just as a Domino's pizza is real food for the flesh, Christ's Body and Blood are real food for our spirit. How do we partake of this real food for the soul? Jesus told us when He said, "Take, eat. This is My Body."
All this controversy over "It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail" somehow implying that Spirit=symbolic while flesh=literal is wrong headed.
As far as I know, nowhere in the Scriptures is "spirit" synonymous with "symbolic". Also, if the flesh "is of no avail", then we are all in a boat load of trouble. The reason why is the Incarnation. God took on flesh to redeem Man(oh, how non-PC). If the flesh is of no avail, then the Crucifixtion and our subsequent Redemption was meaningless.
Unless...the meaning you guys are trying to give to v.63 isn't what Jesus was trying to say. Remember, to metaphorically say "Eat my flesh" means to persecute and destroy me. Realize that the spiritual is more real than the monitor you're looking at right now.
I found an outstanding website, at least from my prospective, on the Eucharist. I goes into better detail on John 6 than I possibly can(I don't want to be charged with blatant plagiarism. :)) It also has references to 400 years of Patristic testamony concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Anyway, here it is: Addressing Protestant Text Criticism of John 6
His Flesh is true food. His Blood is true drink