Pupils across Rotherham tuck in as Tesco scheme serves over 349k portions of fruit & veg to South Yorkshire youngsters

School children in Rotherham and across South Yorkshire have munched their way through more than 349,000 portions of fruit and vegetables as part of a supermarket's Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme.

During the second year of the Tesco initative, schools in Rotherham received a share of the 349,000 portions distributed across South Yorkshire, weighing more than 27,000 kg, helping Rotherham pupils access a greater variety of fresh fruit and vegetables during the school day.

Apples were the most popular choice among schools in the region, accounting for around 123,000 portions, followed by satsumas and clementines with around 43,000 portions and bananas with around 41,000 portions.

The local figures come as Tesco reveals the wider impact of its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation.

Across the UK, school children attending schools supported by the programme have eaten almost 20 million portions of fruit and vegetables during the first two years of the scheme, reaching up to 186,000 pupils.

From crunchy carrots to juicy grapes, the huge amount of healthy food enjoyed by pupils has had a significantly positive impact on their nutrition – with the kids seeing an average 4.2 per cent increase in Vitamin C intake alone in the last year.

And the scheme isn’t only filling tummies but has the potential to transform pupils’ behaviour as well: 94 per cent of teachers also reported improved behaviour from kids, including sharper focus and more energy in the classroom.

Now in its third year, the Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, has expanded to support over 1,000 schools.

The latest Impact Report, which analyses the effects of the free fruit and veg on up to 186,000 children, found that the produce also boosted Vitamin A by 1.7 per cent, fibre intakes increased by 2.1 per cent and folate, which reduces tiredness, was up by 1.8 per cent.

With more than 1,500 tonnes of fruit and veg provided to schools through the programme since its inception, youngsters have sampled 103 types of fruit and veg. The most popular fruits were apples, bananas, oranges, kiwi and grapes; and the top vegetables were potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and onions.

Claire de Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: “Schools continue to tell us what a positive impact the Tesco Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme has made on their children including sharper focus, more energy and better behaviour.

“Teachers all agreed that the scheme has made a positive difference to the lives of each young person it has reached.

“But we can do more. That’s why in this academic year, we are extending the scheme even further, to include more than 1,000 schools, to reach more children in the most challenged communities in the UK giving them access to the fruit and veg they need.”

Pupils who participated in the first two years of the scheme ate 60 portions of fruit and veg, on average, with every single teacher asked agreeing that it has had a positive impact on their pupils. Nearly all (98 per cent) teachers said the scheme encourages pupils to eat a wider variety of fruit and 94 per cent reported improved behaviour.

It’s also encouraged children to try new and unusual foods, including ones that can be hard to access on a restricted budget – like blueberries, watermelon, asparagus and more.

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “It's incredibly encouraging to see the difference this programme is making for children and schools. 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. That's why we're so pleased to see the programme continuing to grow, having already provided almost 20 million portions of fruit and vegetables and now reaching 1,000 schools. 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."

In addition to Free Fruit & Veg for Schools, Tesco is also supporting schools and kid's groups through its Fruit & Veg Grants blue token scheme where customers have the chance to vote in store to award new grants to their favourite community groups.