Trolley good! Supermarket's £4m healthy eating boost

Children at 400 schools in some of the country's most deprived areas will benefit from fresh fruit and vegetables thanks to an inspirational new scheme launched today by Tesco and celebrity chef Poppy O'Toole

- Giles Sheldrick

TENS of thousands of hungry children will get the chance to feast on healthy fresh fruit and vegetables thanks to a cash boost from Tesco. Britain's biggest supermarket retailer is pumping £4million into a scheme to give youngsters in some of the UK's most deprived areas access to delicious produce, guaranteeing they get their five-a-day fill.

The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools initiative is a first-of-its kind project that will see up to 140,000 primary and secondary kids at 400 schools eat at least one piece of fresh fruit or veg every day. And, as parents know, every little helps in ensuring inquisitive minds are fuelled with the right foods.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group Chief Executive, said: "Our aim is to enable

participating 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." The mission - an undertaking never attempted in Britain before - will ensure record numbers of children get what is good for them, providing a dietary, mental and physical boost.

Inspired

Crucially, they will also learn the provenance of an abundance of fresh and natural ingredients and be inspired to make quick, simple and delicious recipes thanks to food blogger and Michelin-trained chef Poppy O'Toole, 30 - known to millions of fans as Poppy Cooks.