NHS campaign aims to get children eating five-a-day

With research suggesting that the average child eats just two portions of fruit and vegetables a day, the NHS healthy living campaign, ‘5 a Day – Top Tips for Top Mums’, aims to show families how easy it is to get the recommended five portions into their daily diet.

The campaign focuses on encouraging low income parents and guardians to share their experiences of integrating fruit and vegetables into their children’s daily diet and to identify the obstacles they face, such as children’s fussiness, cost, skills and ideas. It puts parents in touch with each other so they can work together to improve their children’s eating habits.

The accompanying ‘5 a Day’ website explains why it is so important that people make the effort to eat more fruit and vegetables, clarifies what counts as a portion, features a variety of recipes and even details how people can grow their own produce.

Although an emphasis is placed on low income households, the campaign has been designed by NHS Choices for all types of families. It provides easy solutions for those families who are working against a hectic schedule or busy social life, advice on how to provide five-a-day on a budget and tips for parents of fussy eaters. Families or individuals who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet can also find information about how to eat balanced and varied meals.

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) is an off-shoot project to help children achieve their five-a-day. The scheme includes all infant, primary and special schools that are maintained by the Local Education Authority and entitles all children aged four to six to a free piece of fruit or vegetable each school day. In addition to this, all school lunches must include at least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables or salad for each pupil and all school food outlets, including tuck-shops and vending machines, must offer fruit and/or vegetables.

The fruit and vegetables are delivered three days a week to ensure freshness, are always washed before they are distributed to children and are handed out in class groups before the mid-morning break so that the scheme can be incorporated into teaching and learning. Children can choose between bananas, apples, pears, satsumas, carrots and tomatoes. Some schools offer other seasonal fruit such as strawberries and also use lunch menus which highlight in-season fruit and vegetables.

Both the ‘5 a Day’ and SFVS schemes are designed to encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits while they are young and carry them through to later life.

Regional Manager Lorraine Prothero, who helped develop our Nutrition and Healthy Eating training course, says: “The best way to a healthier, longer life is to eat a nutritionally balanced diet which includes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

"At the moment, most children are only getting around two portions a day and some are eating less than this. This may have serious implications for their future health. Parents and child carers should be aware of the guidelines for a healthy diet and lifestyle and our course provides exactly this and covers meal planning and calorie control.”

For further information about our Nutrition and Healthy Eating training course please call us today.