The lunchbox way to five a day

Just as we think we're getting to grips with healthy eating, another report is published revealing just how far away we are as a nation from eating enough fruit and veg. And it's an even bigger blow to discover that some children's diets are far from as healthy as they should be too.

According to a report by marketing company TNS, just one in eight people living in this country eats five or more portions of fruit and veg a day, with 12 percent of Brits eating no fruit and veg at all. Women have the highest average level (2.7 portions a day), with men just a few steps behind on 2.4 daily portions. The over-65s, however, are the most likely to reach five a day.

The report also looked at what's going into children's school lunchboxes. And on the whole, it's good news – compared with a year ago, there is 16 percent more fruit, 32 percent more yoghurt and 25 percent more salad vegetables in the typical child's lunchbox. However, the report also discovered that 44 percent of children's lunchboxes contain crisps, nuts and snacks, compared to 41 percent that contain fruit.

Healthy snack

So what can parents do? One way to boost children's intake of fruit as well as giving them a healthy snack that's rich in antioxidants and natural sugars is to pack a PowerFruit bar Fruit Supplement in their lunchbox.

Available in three delicious varieties – CherryFlex, Wonderful Pomegranate and Wild Blueberry IQ – PowerFruit bars are made from 100 percent fruit, and are four times higher in antioxidants than the equivalent fruit juice concentrates thanks to the fact that they're made from the whole fruit, including the skin, pulp and pith.

CherryFlex Fruit Supplement bars are made from Montmorency cherries – a variety of tart (sour) cherries ) that are chock full of vitamins A, C, C and B6 as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, folic acid and iron, not to mention important antioxidants such as anthocyanins, the pigments that give the cherries their deep, rich, red colour.

PowerFruit's Wonderful Pomegranate Fruit Supplement bars are also rich in anthocyanins, not forgetting vitamin C and potassium. Meanwhile, the company's Wild Blueberry IQ Fruit Supplement bars are rich in anthocyanins too, and supply 79 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Each PowerFruit Fruit Supplement bar is also the equivalent of two out of five recommended portions of fruit and veg that children and adults alike require for a healthy diet.

PowerFruit Fruit Supplement Bars (25g): £34.99 for 30 bars

The Powerfruit range is available via powerfruits.co.uk.