Nearly 20 million portions of free fruit and vegetables have been eaten by school pupils in the UK since Tesco expanded its Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme to more than 1,000 schools, with 186,000 students benefiting over the past two years.
The scheme, supported by the British Nutrition Foundation, has provided more than 1,500 tonnes of fresh produce, and a survey of teachers found that 90% reported improved behaviour, heightened concentration, and increased energy during lessons as a direct result of the daily deliveries.
Health and dietary impact
An impact report on the first two years of the programme showed that participating children saw their Vitamin C intake rise by 4.2% last year, while fibre, Vitamin A, and folate also increased substantially. On average, each pupil consumed 60 portions of fruit and veg, and receipts revealed that youngsters tried 103 different types of fresh produce.
While apples, bananas, carrots and cucumbers were the most popular items, the programme also encouraged pupils to sample more exotic or expensive produce such as blueberries, asparagus and watermelon, which can be difficult to obtain on a tight budget.
School and community response
Elaine McCallum, deputy head teacher at Cleeves Primary School in Glasgow, said the daily deliveries made a real difference: "Having access to fruit every day makes a real difference. For some of our children, it may be the only fruit they have that day, so making sure everyone can have a healthy snack is really important."
Claire de Silva, head of communities at Tesco, said the supermarket is expanding the programme this academic year to reach even more youngsters in the UK's most deprived communities. She added: "Schools continue to tell us what a positive impact the programme has made on their children, including sharper focus, more energy and better behaviour."
Elaine Hindal, chief executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said she was incredibly heartened by the findings: "We know that eating well can support children's health, wellbeing and ability to learn, but that access to healthy food can be a challenge. We're proud to work with Tesco on an initiative that is helping more children enjoy healthy foods and build positive eating habits that can last a lifetime."
