Pupils go bananas for healthy eating program in Ballynahinch

The High School Ballynahinch, in Co. Down, has been one of the 19 schools in Northern Ireland benefitting from the Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools scheme that launched last October.

Tesco has invested £4m to offer thousands of young people in the UK fresh fruit and vegetables every day at school. The initiative has been developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation and Groundwork UK.

The 400 pupils at The High School Ballynahinch enjoy having a piece of fruit as a healthier alternative to the daily trips to the tuck shop. The prefects from year 12 are responsible for distributing the fruit to the classrooms and bananas are the number one choice from the bowl. Students also enjoy almost up to 60 packets of oranges, apples, pears and grapes per week from Tesco stores nearby.

“It’s all about developing healthy habits and the fruit is available all the time at the school, not only during break and lunch,” commented Gary Toner, Design Technology Head of Department at The High School Ballynahinch.

“About 50% of our pupils are on free school meals and most wouldn’t have access to fruit and veg. So, they’d get a quick breakfast, like a cereal bar, or not even any breakfast at all, which is not great as they need good fuel to learn. It’s been great to receive support from Tesco and provide more solid nutrition to them.”

The fresh produce goes full circle at the school: the leftover vegetables are used to make soup for senior homes in the area, and any waste finds a new purpose in the compost bin. The school also maintained a small chicken coop that helped to reduce waste, although a hungry fox has recently interrupted that arrangement.

Gary is one of the school’s volunteers to source the fruit and veg from Tesco stores nearby, including the Tesco Lisburn Bentrim Rd Superstore – and sometimes visits the store twice a week for fresh produce.

“It’s great having the opportunity to help these students have a healthier diet, with plenty of fruit and veg, mixing different colours and vitamins on their plate,” said Ann Broome, Community Champion at the Tesco Lisburn Bentrim Rd Superstore.

Tom Sarsfield, Manager at Tesco Lisburn Bentrim Rd Superstore, commented: “We are proud to partner with The High School Ballynahinch and other local schools to help provide nutritious food to students. The program offers pupils the foundation they need for a healthy lifestyle.”