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Two schools in Caerphilly County Borough are to be given fruit and veg by Tesco in a bid to encourage healthy eating habits.

Pupils from Gaig y Rhacca Primary School and St James Primary School in Caerphilly are set to receive one piece of fruit or veg a day as part of a new initiative from Tesco.

The £4million investment will be going to 30 schools across south Wales, with an emphasis on supporting those schools which have a higher than average free school meal take-up.

According to a recent survey, only 12% of children aged between 11 and 18 are currently meeting the five-a-day recommendation.

The focus on areas with higher free school meal participation is particularly important because data shows that families on lower incomes struggle to afford a healthy diet.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group chief executive, said: “Our aim is to enable schools to provide enough fruit and veg for every child to have at least one piece every day.

“Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools will make a real difference by providing something that young people look forward to receiving every day, and we hope it will be another little nudge to get them eating healthy food.

“We know we can’t change habits overnight, but we can ensure that young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK get access to more fruit and veg. We want to help them try something new, learn about food and how to prepare and cook it.”