Tesco to donate £4m of fruit and veg to 400 schools after worrying diet revelation

The vast majority of children are not eating enough fruit and vegetables to support a balanced diet and give them the best start in life, experts have warned.

Latest figures for England show only 29% of adults consume five or more portions of fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced fruit and veg per day. And the figure plummets to just 12% for children aged 11 to 18, leaving many lacking in fibre and essential nutrients.

Elaine Hindal, chief executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, says: “National dietary surveys show that children in this country are not eating the right balance of foods to give them the best start in life. For example, in 11 to 18 year olds, only 12% of children are getting their five-a-day, only 4% meet the fibre recommendation and many have low intakes of essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin A.

“These essential nutrients are important for all of us but particularly for children’s growth and development. We need to improve children’s diets by making it easier for people to get healthier options such as vegetables, fruit, pulses – such as beans, chickpeas and lentils – and wholegrains, and have less foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar.”

The warning came as announced a major donation of £4million-worth of fruit and vegetables to 400 schools in a bid to help more youngsters hit the crucial five-a-day target. Tesco company nutritionist Laura Farrell said: “It’s a great opportunity at this age to create positive experiences of healthy foods.

“If we can encourage that and let it follow through to later life, then you’re set up for life to explore all these different wonderful flavours, textures and opportunities, and that can only do good for your diet.”

Public Health Minister 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.”

The long-running five-a-day campaign is based on a World Health Organisation recommendation that adults eat at least 400g of fruit and vegetables daily to promote general health and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. Examples of one portion – weighing roughly 80g – include a medium banana, seven strawberries or one large slice of pineapple.

Bananas are a good source of manganese, which contributes to maintenance of our bones and formation of connective tissue as well as helping yield energy from our food. They also contain potassium which helps maintain , the function of muscles and the nervous system, and vitamin B6 which aids red blood cell formation.

Strawberries are high in fibre, folate, vitamin C and manganese, while pineapple is also a good source of vitamin C and manganese. The Eatwell Guide suggests fruit and veg should make up just over a third of our daily food intake. Meeting these dietary targets supports our body to work well day-to-day, including our heart, brain, immune system and gut, Ms Hindal explains.

“It also helps to keep us healthy in the longer term, as having a healthy diet reduces the long-term risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.

“For children, a balanced diet is particularly important to support the healthy development of, for example, bones and muscles, cognitive function and to help maintain a healthy weight.”

Despite strong awareness of the five-a-day campaign, many families struggle to meet the target. The latest Health Survey for England, carried out in 2022, found adults only managed on average 3.9 portions per day. A shocking 7% admitted they ate no fruit or veg at all. Meanwhile, the country is facing a childhood obesity crisis which means the burden of weight-related conditions is set to continue soaring, putting even more pressure on the overstretched NHS.

Some 36.6% of 10 to 11 year olds were overweight or living with obesity in England in the 2022-23 school year, according to the National Child Measurement Programme. This was up from 33.2% in the 2014-15 school year.

A recent independent investigation into the NHS, conducted by Lord Ara Darzi, highlighted the link between health inequalities and obesity. It noted that children from the most deprived 10% of areas were more than twice as likely to be obese when they started school, compared with those from the least deprived backgrounds. Lord Darzi wrote: “It is utterly shocking that in the poorest communities, nearly one in three children are obese by Year 6.”

Ms Hindal says weight gain in childhood can have a profound effect later in life, explaining: “It can have an impact on both physical and mental health, with higher risks of conditions like bone and joint problems, breathing difficulties and high blood pressure as well as emotional and behaviour issues such as low self-esteem and suffering from bullying.

“Childhood obesity is strongly linked to deprivation, with children living in the most deprived areas about twice as likely to be obese, compared to those living in the least deprived areas. Alongside obesity, food insecurity is also a worrying issue for children’s health, and if children are arriving at school hungry, this will make them less able to learn and fulfil their potential.”

The complex reasons for poor childhood nutrition include financial pressures and busy lifestyles, which mean junk or unhealthy food is often an easier or quicker option. Research led by the Food Foundation last year found the amount of vegetables bought by UK households has fallen to the lowest level in 50 years. It pointed to the cost-of-living crisis as a major factor.

“For families on the lowest incomes, a healthy diet can cost more than half their disposable income, and data shows that food- insecure households particularly struggle to afford healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables,” Ms Hindal continues. “Addressing obesity and reducing health inequalities through dietary change needs robust, well-structured policies across government to create a holistic, system-wide approach.”

If you want to improve your children’s diet, start by adding extra vegetables like frozen peas or carrot sticks to meals and fresh fruit, crackers and cheese or wholemeal toast as snacks.

Ms Hindal says: “As a parent, your children look to you as a role model, so if you can eat healthily it can help show them how to eat well. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar like sweets, biscuits, crisps and cakes should only be a very occasional treat – certainly not everyday foods.”

Increasing youngsters’ intakes of fruit and veg can have wide-ranging benefits for both physical and mental health, Ms Farrell said. “Fruits and vegetables are really rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and there are also bioactive compounds that we’re still learning about – things that are interacting with our gut health.

“One of the most important things is that if we have that five-a-day, there’s good evidence to say that we are lowering the risk of some serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. If we can get those behaviours really learned and appreciated and continued through from youth to old age, it’s a good recipe for success for healthfulness as we get older.”

READ MORE:

As well as the personal benefits, improving our diets can help ease pressure on the NHS. Ms Farrell says: “We’re facing an ageing population, so we’re living longer than before, but the important thing is we live healthier for longer as well.”

This article has been published in partnership with Tesco fruit and veg for schools.