UK | Tesco will invest £4m in a new scheme that will give thousands of young people fruit and vegetables at school daily.
Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools, developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, will fund up to 140,000 pupils to receive at least one piece of fruit or veg daily, giving their diets a healthy and nutritious boost.
The funding will support pupils in 400 schools with a higher-than-average free school meal ratio and, in total, provide around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables. Over a school year, that’s the average equivalent of 110 portions per child.
“We aim to enable schools to provide enough fruit and veg for every child to have at least one piece every day. Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools will make a real difference by providing something that young people look forward to receiving every day, and we hope it will be another little nudge to get them to eat healthy food,” said Ken Murphy, Tesco Group Chief Executive.
“We know we can’t change habits overnight, but we can ensure that young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK can access more fruit and veg. We want to help them try something new, learn about food and how to prepare and cook it.”
In a recent survey by brand and social impact agency We Are Futures, 71 percent of teachers said they would prioritise the choice of ‘fruit and veg for all pupils’ if it were fully funded.
Research by FareShare among 10,000 teachers found that 28 percent of teachers across England brought food for pupils in the last term, up from 26 percent in the summer of 2023.
Only 12 percent of children between 11 and 18 meet the five-a-day recommendation.
Based on the average 5-a-day intake in school-aged children, Tesco has expected children participating in the scheme to increase their overall fruit and veg intake by 23 percent.
Focusing on areas with higher free school meal participation is particularly important because data shows that lower-income families struggle to afford a healthy diet.
Based on average intakes of these nutrients in children across the school year, the British Nutrition Foundation estimates this would increase intakes by 7 percent for vitamin A, 25 percent for vitamin C, 14 percent for folate and 10 percent for fibre.
The 400 schools participating in the scheme will be able to shop for the fruits and vegetables they need in stores near their schools.
“We welcome this significant investment from Tesco to help improve the diets of our young people. Targeting funding to pupils in areas needing a little extra help is a meaningful and impactful intervention,” said Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation.
“Beyond the funding, we’re excited to strengthen the support with educational resources that will help teachers inspire pupils and foster an ambition to develop healthy habits for these pupils to take through life.”
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne added that with only one in five children eating the recommended portions of fruit and veg daily, it was fantastic to see Tesco’s commitment to helping children access healthier foods.
