A healthy eating programme for school children in Clydebank is being extended for another year.
Tesco’s Fruit and Veg for Schools scheme, developed with the British Nutrition Foundation, has been expanded for another year.
The extended scheme will reach more than 500 schools across the UK during the 2025/26 academic year.
It aims to provide children with daily portions of fruit and vegetables, particularly in areas where more than 50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
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Ashwin Prasad, chief executive officer of Tesco UK, said: "Schools have told us what a positive impact the Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools programme has made on their children, so we are delighted we can support even more schools in year two.
"The first year of our programme has been a huge success, and by expanding it, we can ensure that even more young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK get access to more fruit and veg."
Tesco expects the scheme to boost participants’ fruit and vegetable intake by 23% based on average five-a-day intakes in school-aged kids.
Last academic year (2024/25), around 140,000 children were supported with more than 10 million portions of fruit and veg.
The most popular items distributed were apples, bananas, oranges, grapes and strawberries.
Schools taking part in the scheme will be able to shop for the fruit and veg the school needs in stores local to their school.
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The scheme is part of Tesco’s Stronger Starts funding and community support for children.
Elaine Hindal, chief executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: "Tesco’s Fruit and Veg for Schools programme has helped to improve the diets of our young people by helping them get more of their five a day, try new varieties and develop healthy habits that we hope will stay with them through life.
"We’re delighted to see the programme expanded to provide daily fruit and vegetables to even more children who might not normally be able to access them."
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