Hundreds of thousands of parents will receive vouchers for free fruit and vegetables as part of a new drive to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits and tackle obesity.
The move, announced by health secretary John Reid this week, is aimed at improving nutritional balance among young children in poorer families.
The changes come under reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme which supports some of the poorest pregnant women and families.
Parents eligible for the existing scheme only receive tokens for liquid milk and infant formula milk. These tokens will be replaced next year with weekly vouchers that can be used to buy fresh produce as well as milk.
Qualification for the scheme is based on factors such as low income or receipt of tax credits. The vouchers will be worth at least £2.80 a week to families with children aged over one year old. Families with children aged between 0 and one year old will receive vouchers worth at least £5.60 per week.
All pregnant women under the age of 18 will also be eligible for the scheme, regardless of family income.
It is estimated that in total up to 800,000 people will benefit from the scheme.
John Reid said: "The government is committed to tackling the rise in obesity.
"Although I believe it’s not the government’s role to lecture people how to live their lives, it is our responsibility to provide the means for them and their families to follow a healthier lifestyle.
"The best way of tackling obesity is through encouraging a healthy diet at an early age. These changes mean that pregnant women, nursing mothers and younger children already benefiting from the scheme will in future have a greater choice of healthy eating options, so reducing the chances of obesity."
Vouchers will be exchangeable in a wide range of participating retail outlets, which could include milkmen, greengrocers, retail pharmacies, community food initiatives as well as supermarkets and other general grocery outlets.
The changes will be phased in from the end of the year.
Reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme also mean that children in nursery will be offered a choice of milk or fruit, instead of just milk under existing regulations.
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