27 October 2023 , 12:47
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Making healthy choices means choosing food that will make us feel good next week and next year. But when we’re rushing to get a weeknight dinner on the table, or we finally sit down with a treat at the weekend, the quick and easy options usually win - and they’re not always the best for our health.
We’re also worried our families won’t eat healthier alternatives, meaning that food could go to waste.
In fact, research from Tesco has shown that seven out of 10 people think family fussiness is the main thing preventing them from switching to healthier foods.
But 86% of shoppers do want to eat healthier and more nutritious foods, and 77% said they want supermarkets to do more to help.
“It’s not enough to rely on people changing their behaviour, we have to support them,” says Elaine Hindal, CEO of the British Nutrition Foundation, a charity which has partnered with Tesco for a new health report outlining how the supermarket is making healthier diets more accessible for all.
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“Value is our number one commitment.” explains Tesco company nutritionist Laura Farrell. “We need to provide affordable, healthy food to families where and when it’s needed.”
Tesco has a range of initiatives designed to ensure customers get the best value on healthier choices, whether that’s through Fresh 5 offers on fruit and veg, Clubcard Prices, or Aldi Price Match products - two thirds of which are healthy.
Last year, Tesco also launched Better Baskets, a campaign to tackle the barriers customers face when eating more healthily, with more nutritious products clearly labelled online and in Better Baskets 'zones' in store.
Tesco is helping to make healthier eating easier for everyone (Getty Images)Behind the scenes, Tesco development chefs are working to reduce the amounts of saturated fat, sugar and salt in familiar products, whilst also adding more good-for-you ingredients like fibre and vegetables.
“We’ve been working hard to make our customers’ favourite products even healthier, without compromising on taste and enjoyment,” says Karen Poole, head of healthy and sustainable diets at Tesco.
“We hone in on flavours, keeping the recipe as authentic as possible,” adds Laura. “We know our customers lead busy lives, that's why over half of our own brand ready meals now contain one of your five-a-day, and we have set ourselves a target of 66% by the end of 2025.”
Tesco is committed to providing healthier options. So far, it has removed 71 billion calories from its own brand food range, putting the supermarket well on track to delivering its 100 billion calorie reduction target by 2025.