Tesco is to invest £4m in a new scheme that will give thousands of young people fruit and vegetables every day at school.
Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools, which has been developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, will provide funding for up to 140,000 pupils to receive at least one piece of fruit or veg a day, giving their diets a healthy and nutritious boost.
The funding will support pupils in 400 schools where there is a higher-than-average free school meal ratio, and in total will provide around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables. Over a school year, that’s the equivalent of 110 portions per child on average.
In a recent survey by brand and social impact agency We Are Futures, 71% of teachers said that they would prioritize the choice of ‘fruit and veg for all pupils’ if it was fully funded.
And research by FareShare among 10,000 teachers, found that 28% of teachers across England have brought in food for pupils in the last term, which is up from 26% in summer term 2023.
Only 12% of children aged between 11 and 18 are meeting the five-a-day recommendation and for children taking part in the scheme, Tesco expects to see their overall fruit and veg intake increase by 23%, based on the average 5-a-day intakes in school-aged children.
The focus on areas with higher free school meal participation is particularly important because data shows that families on lower incomes 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% for vitamin A, 25% for vitamin C, 14% for folate and 10% for fibre.
The 400 schools taking part in the scheme will be able to shop for the fruit and veg the school needs in stores local to their school.
Ken Murphy, Tesco Group Chief Executive, said: “Our aim is 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 eating healthy food.
“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 get access to more fruit and veg. We want to help them try something new, learn about food and how to prepare and cook it.”
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “We welcome this significant investment from Tesco to help improve the diets of our young people. By targeting funding to pupils in areas in need of a little extra help, this is a meaningful and impactful intervention. 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 said: “With only one-in-five children eating the recommended portions of fruit and veg a day, it’s fantastic to see Tesco’s commitment to helping children access healthier foods.
“We’re committed to giving every child the best start in life, by funding healthy free breakfast clubs across the country, so that pupils start the day with hungry minds – not bellies.”
Chef, Poppy O’Toole, who is supporting the campaign, said: “Making sure young people have a healthy diet packed with nutritious food is an important part of giving them a stronger start in life. When basic nutrition is missing from the menu, it can impact them longer term. That’s why I’m helping launch Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools to help give the next generation’s diets a healthy and nutritious boost.”
