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“This year, our year 4 design and technology project was something to behold,” smiles Suzie Bradshaw, assistant head teacher of Hillborough junior school in Luton, remembering how children designed, made and evaluated their very own fruit-based smoothies. “They applied scientific thinking, artistic flair, and genuine culinary courage,” she says. “And our Send pupils have had their learning brought to life in ways we could only have dreamed of before. They have explored their senses through fruit tasting and testing, applied mathematical thinking by making fruit clocks, and – most recently – set up their very own community cafe as part of an enterprise project.”

You’ll remember the old adage about pupils bringing an apple for the teacher. But these days teachers are giving apples – alongside cucumbers, watermelons and a rainbow-coloured range of other fruit and vegetables – to their pupils to enhance their learning in ever more creative ways.

This is thanks to Tesco’s Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme. It gives funding to more than 500 schools across the UK with higher-than-average free school meal eligibility, to provide children with fresh fruit and vegetables during the school day. Free Fruit & Veg Grants, of up to £1,500, are available nationwide for hundreds of schools, nurseries and other community groups working with kids.

So regardless of a child’s background, they can learn about and taste a huge variety of highly nutritious fresh options in the classroom (more than 100 varieties and counting so far!), which should hopefully build a foundation for a healthier lifestyle.

The results of the programme – which launched in 2024 and distributed 10.8m portions of fruit and vegetables in 2025 – have been encouraging, says Christine Heffernan, Tesco’s group chief communications and sustainability officer, stretching far beyond just teaching the children about nutrition. “Improved behaviour was reported by 94% of teachers, with sharper focus and more energy, while 99% said the scheme encouraged pupils to eat a wider variety of foods,” she says. “Some of the most powerful stories were about children trying certain fruits and vegetables for the very first time.”

Bradshaw has seen this first-hand in her school: “It is difficult to overstate what a difference the simple act of providing a healthy morning fruit snack makes. A child who arrives hungry cannot focus. They cannot learn. But with a piece of fresh fruit inside them, the rumbling tummy is quietened, and the curious, capable young mind can finally get to work.” And the scheme isn’t just about providing access to healthy food, says Heffernan, “it’s about helping children build positive habits that can last a lifetime.”

It is a crucial and timely initiative. Fewer than one in 10 children aged 11 to 18 eat the recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetables, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019-2023. A new Tesco survey found that more than a third of parents say their child refuses fruit and veg altogether. Given the alluring marketing, the convenience and the widespread availability of ultraprocessed snacks high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS), it’s not hard to see why a humble apple or carrot isn’t necessarily seen as a thrilling option by young people.

Meanwhile, a fifth of children start school either overweight or obese, according to the NHS. But change is possible and ripples out from the classroom and through communities. For kids, school can often feel like a lower-pressure environment than family mealtimes when it comes to trying new things. Teachers are reporting newly inspired pupils going home and encouraging their parents to make healthier choices at the supermarket at the weekend. And the British Nutrition Foundation notes that the scheme is boosting levels of key nutrients in children, including vitamin A and fibre.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, though. Which is why Tesco is doubling the size of the programme to more than 1,000 schools in September 2026 which, says Heffernan, “will allow us to support schools in almost every community where we have a store”. The target is to then double participation again.

And there will be a greater emphasis on vegetables – as any parent knows, children gravitate towards sweet tastes so it’s easier to coax your child into trying kiwi than kale. But with a little creative thinking, it can be done. Teens eating turnips? You never know.

This scheme is just one part of the puzzle. Alongside the supermarket’s work with schools, Tesco also has initiatives that support families during the school holidays when routines and access to healthy food can be harder to maintain. Through its Free Fruit for Kids programme, children can pick up a free piece of fruit or veg while shopping with a parent or carer. Meanwhile, Tesco’s Kids Eat Free offer across its 328 Tesco cafes and coffee shops throughout the week helps families access affordable, balanced meals outside term time.

When it comes to food sales, 65% are now classified as healthy, and the supermarket has committed to increasing that figure every year through to 2030. But, says Heffernan, all parts of society must rise to the challenge of helping the new generation build healthier habits to help them thrive: “Transforming the nation’s diet requires a shared effort across retailers, government and the wider food industry.”

Meanwhile, back at Bradshaw’s school and hundreds of others across the UK, pupils are enjoying smoothie-making sessions, using berries as counters to solve maths puzzles and creating art with vegetable printing. “This scheme is not simply a box of apples and bananas,” she notes. “It is communities thriving – together.”

Find out more about how Tesco can help you and your family eat more healthily at Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools