Organix has launched an exciting new campaign called ‘Good for planet. Good for me.’ to encourage pre school children to eat more fruit and veg. The campaign will be running throughout May 2021 where children can explore the colours of the rainbow through fruit and vegetables. They are partnering with JB Gill a father of two, farmer, former Cbeebies presenter and member of JLS pop group and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA).
Vegetable consumption in under 5s
The announcement comes on the back of shocking findings from a YouGov survey*, commissioned by Organix which has found that:
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55% of children under 5 years have two or less portions of vegetable a day – this equates to 2 million children
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A third of UK children age 4 and under eat only two portions a day
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Just under 116,000 are eating no vegetables at all
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There is a lack of variety in the vegetables chosen.
Of the parents and carers:
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24% felt guilty about their child’s daily diet
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Lockdowns have lead to an increase in process foods being consumed
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25% said they would like to increase the variety of foods in their child’s diet
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Just under 50% admit to giving up on getting their child to try new foods after 6 attempts, despite it taking on average between 11-15 times to get a child to try a new food
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Parents try different techniques and and worry about the lack of variety and amount given
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More than 53% resort to hiding vegetables in their children meals – which can have a negative effect on children recognising or accepting the vegetable when they see it in its whole ‘unhidden’ form.
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One third of parents said they found mealtimes ended up in battles and so didn’t persevere with encouraging their children to eat vegetables to avoid upsets and stress.
Good for the planet. Good for me.
With this exciting new Organix campaign, JB Gill will be sharing over 90 food activities for children to familiarise them with vegetables and fruit in a fun way. The approach will encourage curiosity, exploration and enjoyment, taking the tension out of mealtimes.
With the pressure off they can discover healthy food through play, taste and texture, playing their way through the fruit and vegetable colours of the rainbow. The materials are developed by Organix Fussy Eating Expert, Lucy Thomas.
Evidence based
The initiative will also include the University of Reading’s “See & Eat“** books, along with songs and healthy recipes. They will also take part in nature activities outdoors, including planting vegetables.
Mark Golder, Managing Director of Organix said “‘Good for planet. Good for me.’ was born out of our mission to do better for future generations by supporting parents and caregivers to get little ones loving fruit and veg. As far as we’re concerned, there’s no better gift we can give.”
JB Gill added: “As a parent, I know how tough it can be to get your children eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. That’s why I’m so excited to be involved in this campaign because I know how important it is and if there’s an easier way to support parents and caregivers to do this, fantastic.”
“As a father and a farmer, I also know how when you show kids and help them understand where food comes from, you’ll have much greater success in getting them to rethink their relationship with it. To that effect, we’ve created a wealth of amazing content to inspire parents, family members and nurseries. I can’t wait to share it with my two and help them become rainbow explorers too.”
Purnima Tanuku OBE, CEO of NDNA added: “Nurseries play a vital role in a child’s formative years and this last year has had a big impact on children’s health, wellbeing and development. We all know something remarkable happens when children are with other children in a nursery, like being more likely to try new foods if it’s part of a fun activity or when they see their friends eating it. So these resources will be a great support, helping children to explore a range of fruit and vegetables together and giving them healthy habits for life.”
The ‘Good for planet. Good for me.’ campaign will be available to support parents through the Organix website and via a partnership with NDNA on their website, to over 300,000 nursery school children across the UK throughout May.
To find out more about the campaign go to Organix and www.ndna.org.uk.
*The survey was undertaken with 2,000 respondents and is representative of the UK population.
** The See Eat book initiative involves children reading books with pictures of vegetables, in the intervention, children who read the books daily over two weeks were three times more likely to try new vegetables if they become familiar with them from pictures in the books.
