PUPILS at Inverclyde Academy are enjoying a healthier diet - with a helping hand from supermarket giant Tesco.

The move is part of the chain's £4 million investment in supporting young people in schools where there is a higher-than-average takeup of free school meals.

The Tesco Fruit and Veg for Schools initiative, in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation and Groundwork UK, sees each pupil at the school provided with at least one piece of fruit or veg each day.

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.”

In total, 400 schools across the UK will receive around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables - an average of 110 portions per child over the course of a school year.

Only 12 per cent of children aged between 11 and 18 are currently meeting the five-a-day recommendation, and Tesco says it expects to see the overall fruit and veg intake of children taking part in the scheme to increase by 23 per cent.