Tens of thousands of hungry children will get the chance to feast on healthy fresh fruit and vegetables thanks to a cash boost from Tesco. Britain’s biggest supermarket retailer is pumping £4million into a scheme to give youngsters in some of the UK’s most deprived areas access to delicious produce, guaranteeing they get their five-a-day fill.

The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools initiative is a first-of-its kind project that will see 140,000 primary and secondary kids at 400 schools eat at least one piece of fresh fruit or veg every day. And, as parents know, every little helps in ensuring inquisitive minds are fueled with the right foods.

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

“Tesco Fruit & 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.”

The mission – an undertaking never attempted in Britain before – will ensure record numbers of children get what is good for them, providing a dietary, mental and physical boost.

Crucially, they will also learn the provenance of an abundance of fresh and natural ingredients and be inspired to make quick, simple and delicious recipes thanks to food blogger and Michelin-trained chef Polly O’Toole, 30 – known to millions of fans as Poppy Cooks.

Tomorrow the social media sensation and influencer will share a selection of lip-smacking and easy-to-prepare recipes, exclusively curated for readers.

Birmingham-born Poppy, who has appeared on This Morning, Saturday Kitchen Live and as a judge on Young MasterChef, said: “I’m really excited about Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools because I remember how much I loved cooking as a kid, and including fruit and veg in a simple way makes it not only fun, but good for you too! For me, it’s all about giving our kids the best start possible.”

The scheme has been developed alongside experts at the British Nutrition Foundation.

And judging by smiles on faces of kids at Mandeville Primary School in Hackney, East London, the first to taste test nature's bounty, it is set to be a resounding success.

Ably assisted by Poppy, they tucked in to platefuls of fresh produce – and each gave a resounding thumbs up, collectively saying: Thank you berry much.

Headteacher Marc Chapman, 49, said: “When people are hungry they don’t perform as well because they are not getting the right kind of nutrition. We have made it our mission that every child, regardless of their background, will have access to good quality fresh food.”

Evidence shows significant health benefits to getting at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. A recommended portion is 80g with the World Health Organization suggesting we should all eat a minimum of 400g a day in total to lower risk of serious health issues.

Yet data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey for food consumption, nutrient intakes and nutritional status, which tracks intake as part of a rolling programme of health surveillance, suggests only 12% of children aged between 11 and 18 – a little over one in ten – meet the recommendation.

Fruit and veg are a relatively cheap and tasty source of essential nutrients for children’s health, including vitamins A and C, folate and fibre.

But many children turn their noses up at a plateful of greens. This new initiative aims to prove fresh fruit and veg is easy to use, tastes delicious, and can be a physical and mental superpower.

Data shows 11% of four to 10 year olds and 18% of 11 to 18 year olds have low intakes of vitamin A, crucial for our immune system, vision, and healthy skin.

And only 14% of four to 10 year olds and 4% of 11 to 18 year olds are meeting recommended fibre intake, key to keeping the gut healthy and reducing the risk of disease in later life.

Schools taking part in the pioneering scheme will be able to regularly shop for produce in Tesco stores local to them using prepaid cards.

The initiative has been launched to support pupils in areas where there is a higher-than-average free school meal ratio. It will provide access to around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables – a figure equal to 110 portions per child over the course of a school year.

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation [BNF], said: “We welcome this significant investment from Tesco to improve the diet of our young people. By targeting this funding to pupils in areas in need of a little extra help, we hope to make a meaningful intervention for these young people. Beyond the funding we’re excited to strengthen the support with educational resources and an ambition to help develop and instil healthy habits for these pupils to take through life.”

Tesco’s Fruit and Veg for schools is part of a wider community programme called Stronger Starts, an initiative that kicked off in June last year, to give groups and organisations across the UK the chance to apply for funding. It has already provided more than £8million to support thousands of community groups and schools, with the aim of providing a healthier start to kids’ lives.

The strategy is led by Claire de Silva, Tesco Head of Community, who said: “By focusing on supporting schools and children’s groups to provide the grant funding they need, we can make a significant difference to the lives of thousands of young people, giving them a Stronger Start in so many ways.”

Tesco expects to see pupils’ overall fruit and veg consumption increase by 23%, based on average five-a-day intakes in school-aged children.

The focus on areas with higher free school meal participation is important as data shows diets among lower income families often lack essential healthy components – with only 12% of children aged between 11 and 18 meeting the five-a-day recommendation. Across the school year, the BNF estimates this would increase intakes by 7% for vitamin A, 25% for vitamin C, 14% for folate and 10% for fibre.

Andrew Gwynne, Public Health and Prevention Minister, said: "With only one-in-five children eating the recommended portions of fruit and veg a day, it’s fantastic to see Tesco’s commitment to helping children access healthier foods.

"We're committed to giving every child the best start in life, by funding healthy free breakfast clubs across the country, so that pupils start the day with hungry minds - not bellies."