Tesco has initiated a campaign to increase the intake of fruit and veg among children who may not normally receive enough of these nutritious foods.
Focusing on Birmingham and UK-wide schools in neighbourhoods with a high uptake of free school meals, this initiative arises from data highlighting the struggle of low-income families to maintain a healthy diet.
The retail giant is now rolling out the second phase by equipping these schools with slow cookers, encouraging children to make full use of the vegetables supplied. Slow cookers, while not standard in classrooms, are well-known in UK households, and the campaign aims to instil cooking skills in kids early, carrying them into later life. Research suggests that involvement in cooking can make youngsters more open to eating veggies.
Holly Hill Church School in Rubery, one of the beneficiary schools, sees its bursar Michelle Evans shopping for produce each weekend with a Tesco-provided gift card. She commented: "We are based in one of the most deprived parts of Birmingham. If we can relieve pressure on parents, we will do what we can."
"We try to give the children something different every day. We had lychees last week, we've had mangos, papaya, melon and passionfruit - it's a great way for them to try new things, new textures. Sometimes it will be different-sized carrots or yellow or orange tomatoes. When we ask them if they've tried these things before most of the time, they say no.", reports Birmingham Live.
Not only are students encountering a diverse range of produce, but the school's use of slow cookers is also opening doors for enriched learning. Assistant headteacher Cally Parsonage sees vast potential in these appliances beyond just providing meals, highlighting their value as educational tools in teaching subjects like maths with measuring and budgeting, science through nutrition, and literacy by jotting down recipes.
She explained: "I'm now looking at how I can incorporate the slow cookers into the curriculum. In the past when the children have prepared foods, like gingerbread men at Christmas, they've had to be taken to the kitchen to cook and then brought back to them in the classroom. Now it will be great for the children to see their food being cooked from start to finish."
Across the UK, 400 schools involved in the Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools scheme are selecting fresh produce suited to their needs from local Tesco stores. A new twist has been introduced with the uptake of slow cookers, an idea that sprouted from Hillborough Junior School's use of a Tesco Stronger Starts grant leading to the establishment of a slow cooker club where students craft meals to enjoy with their families.
Claire De Silva, Tesco’s Head of Communities, observed: "Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools is making a significant difference by providing young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK with more of the essential vitamins and minerals that children need to thrive. The slow cookers will help schools go even further in encouraging pupils to give healthy foods a try and form habits that will stay with them as they grow up."
The Institute For Global Food Security at Queen's University Belfast underscores the importance of culinary skills from a young age in fostering beneficial eating patterns into adulthood. Current data shows only 12% of youngsters aged between 11 and 18 meet the five-a-day fruit and vegetable recommendation.
However, for those participating in the Tesco initiative, there's an anticipated 23% boost in their overall intake of fruits and veggies, anchored on the typical five-a-day consumption among school-aged children.
Chef Poppy O'Toole, lending her support to the campaign, emphasised: "Making sure young people have a healthy diet packed with nutritious food is an important part of giving them a stronger start in life. Getting youngsters involved in preparing and cooking food is the best way to encourage them to try new foods and help them develop healthy eating habits that will hopefully stay with them for life."
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, expressed her enthusiasm about the initiative's impact: "We are delighted to see that the scheme has already delivered almost 2.5 million portions of fruit and vegetables into schools, contributing to improving diets of children and young people. It's particularly inspiring to see the wide variety of different produce being purchased. With over 80 different types so far, from asparagus to edamame and persimmon to pomegranate, these varieties may be new to children and likely out of reach on the tight budget that schools usually have to work to."
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