Supermarket giant Tesco has intensified its efforts to promote healthier eating habits among families by launching a fresh produce campaign designed to make fruit and vegetables more accessible and affordable. This initiative arrives against the backdrop of concerning government research revealing that fewer than one in ten children and only one in five adults in the UK meet the recommended guideline of consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.

The campaign, rolling out across Tesco stores and online from late July, involves personalised Clubcard stamps that shoppers can earn on fresh fruit and vegetable purchases. These stamps are convertible into Clubcard points and vouchers, providing a financial incentive to buy more produce. Furthermore, Tesco is offering additional Clubcard points for fruit and vegetable transactions, as well as bonus points on fresh produce sales throughout the summer months. Between August 4 and 17, the retailer plans to distribute over 3.5 million free apples to children at checkouts, aiming to encourage healthier snacking habits early on.

Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s chief executive, acknowledged the challenges many face in maintaining a healthy diet, saying, “We understand that for many, there are barriers that make healthy eating feel hard. We want to help our customers make small changes that amount to big health benefits for themselves and their families.” The initiative aligns with government proposals for stricter health regulations on supermarkets, aimed at tackling the UK’s obesity crisis—a point underscored by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting. He emphasised the substantial NHS costs linked to obesity, stating, “I’m grateful to Tesco for picking up the mantle and helping tackle this crisis by making it easier and more affordable for families and kids to eat fresh fruit and veg.”

Tesco’s campaign follows extensive community consultations over the past year and forms part of a broader, long-term commitment to making healthy eating easier for every household. Alongside personalised incentives, the campaign includes gamification, special offers, recipe inspiration, and Clubcard Challenges on frozen fruit, vegetables, beans, and pulses, to widen the scope of healthier choices available to shoppers.

This drive towards better nutrition also reflects broader shifts within Tesco’s product offerings. According to the retailer’s recent sustainability report, there is a strong focus on increasing sales of plant-based foods, particularly dishes where vegetables take centre stage. Tesco aims to grow sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300 percent by the end of the year, responding to growing consumer demand for veg-led meals. As part of its health-focused strategy, Tesco has also opened dedicated health zones in select stores, highlighting products that are higher in fibre, protein, or represent one of the five-a-day portions, while expanding its range of functional health products centred on gut health and protein.

Despite these initiatives, national data indicate that progress in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption has been limited. Recent figures from the Office of Health Improvements and Disparities show only a marginal rise, with about 31.3 percent of adults reporting they meet the five-a-day target, up from 31 percent the previous year. There is also a significant disparity linked to socio-economic status, with lower consumption rates in deprived areas compared to more affluent communities. Charities such as Alexandra Rose highlight this inequality, describing it as a “stark picture of inequality in access to healthy food.”

Campaigns like Tesco’s are gaining additional support from public health and advocacy groups who underscore the urgent need for broader government action. The Vegan Society, for instance, has called for the government to urgently address the low consumption of fruit and vegetables identified in recent national nutrition surveys. They argue this dietary shortfall is linked to a rising burden of chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and bowel cancer. They advocate for integrated public health campaigns, improved education on plant-based diets, and policies that make healthy, sustainable foods more accessible and appealing.

Tesco’s campaign and similar efforts represent a multifaceted approach to tackling nutritional challenges in the UK. By combining commercial incentives, community engagement, and alignment with emerging government health policies, Tesco hopes to play a pivotal role in helping reverse long-term trends of poor dietary habits, particularly among children and families.