Tesco Unveils Adorable Fruit and Veg Names to Boost Kids’ Eating Habits

Tesco has launched an innovative initiative aimed at encouraging children to embrace fruits and vegetables by renaming them with imaginative titles. This initiative features playful descriptors like “Cute-cumbers” for cucumbers and “Velvet Tennis Balls” for peaches, crafted by children across the UK, to make healthy eating more appealing.

The rollout includes names such as “Squishy Marbles” for blueberries and “Fairy Umbrellas” for mushrooms. These creative labels are displayed on signage in participating Tesco stores, aimed at inspiring young shoppers to explore the fruit and vegetable aisle. This effort marks the beginning of the second year of the Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools programme, developed in collaboration with the **British Nutrition Foundation**.

The programme’s first year successfully provided funding to over 400 schools with a high proportion of students receiving free school meals. It resulted in the distribution of more than 10 million portions of fruits and vegetables to approximately 140,000 pupils. In its second year, Tesco plans to expand this effort to over 550 schools, enhancing the nutritional offerings available to students and highlighting the positive initiatives schools are already implementing, such as cookery lessons and smoothie clubs.

Research indicates that 82% of children are more inclined to eat fruits and vegetables if they receive recommendations from peers. Furthermore, a significant 63% of parents believe their children are more adventurous with food at school compared to at home. This adventurous spirit is often fueled by the influence of friends, with 61% of children stating they eat more fruits and vegetables because they mimic their peers’ choices.

Parents often face challenges in encouraging their children to try new foods. A survey revealed that 80% of parents struggle to persuade their children to try new fruits and vegetables, spending an average of 13 minutes attempting to encourage them before conceding. Techniques such as cutting fruits and vegetables into fun shapes or using playful names are common strategies, with 46% of parents opting for the former.

Ashwin Prasad, CEO of Tesco UK, commented on the programme’s impact, stating, “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 are able to support even more schools in year two.”

In a similar vein, Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. “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,” she said, emphasizing the importance of fostering lifelong healthy habits.

Feedback from educators highlights the programme’s success. Harriet Hodgson, Family Engagement Officer at Coed y Dderwen Community Primary School in Merthyr, which participated in the first year, noted, “The funding we received from Tesco has already made a meaningful difference to our school community. We are now able to provide fresh fruit daily to all our pupils, promoting healthier eating habits.”

The research underpinning this initiative was conducted by **Censuswide**, which surveyed a sample of 2,000 parents of school-age children. Participating schools included Coed y Dderwen Community Primary School, St David’s Primary School in West Johnstone, Scotland, and Twerton Infant School in Bath. Stores implementing the new fruit and vegetable names include Tesco Superstore in Keynsham, Tesco Extra in Merthyr Tydfil, and Tesco Superstore in Linwood.

This imaginative approach not only aims to enhance children’s diets but also seeks to create a more engaging shopping experience, making healthy eating both fun and accessible.