Less to pay for your five-a-day with Tesco in 2026

• Tesco helping the nation get more of its five-a-day at great value following data showing less than 1 in 5 people in the UK manage to eat enough fruit and veg.
• The retailer announces its popular Free Fruit for Kids scheme will be making a return to stores across the UK from the end of December as part of a wider campaign to get the nation eating more fruit and veg.
• Selected customers will also be offered personalised Clubcard Challenges on fruit and veg into the new year as well as new recipes, Clubcard Prices and offers.

Tesco is continuing its mission to help families across the nation eat more fruit and vegetables and get off to a healthy start for 2026 with its “Less to pay for 5 -a-day” campaign.

For two weeks, from 30th December 2025 to 13th January 2026, children shopping with their families will once again be able to pick up free apples at checkouts in over 800 large Tesco stores, showcasing the value in Tesco fresh produce. Click & Collect customers will also be given free apples for their children in 119 of Tesco’s large stores. The apples provided will be British-grown from six suppliers across the UK, helping children to access more of the fruit.

We’re committed to making healthy choices easier, quicker and better value for our customers. With new offers, Clubcard Challenges, free fruit for kids and fresh online recipes, we’re helping kids get more of their five‑a‑day, and making healthy eating fun for the entire nation. - Ashwin Prasad, UK CEO, Tesco

Tesco expects to give away over 3 million apples over the two week period. This continues the work of Tesco’s expanded Fruit & Veg for Schools programme. helping more children across the UK access free fruit and veg through their schools, and last academic year (2024/2025), around 140,000 children were supported with over 10 million portions of fruit & veg.

Government figures show that fewer than 1 in 10 children and 1 in 5 adults eat the recommended five-a-day*. This follows a year-long consultation carried out in communities across the UK with Tesco aiming to make healthy eating easier and cheaper for every household.

The free fruit and veg is just one element of the latest stage of Tesco’s wider healthy food campaign that is running in stores and online through January to encourage customers to make healthier choices through great offers and recipe inspiration.

In addition:

• From 12 January 2026, selected customers will be invited to earn Clubcard points through Clubcard Challenges by buying fresh and frozen fruit and veg, beans and pulses, canned fruit and veg and dried fruit
• New Clubcard Prices and offers will be available on fruit and veg, on top of weekly Fresh 5 offers on five-a-day basics
• A refreshed 5-a-day hub on the Tesco Real Food website will provide recipe ideas and inspiration
• The January edition of the Tesco Magazine will also have a six-page spread including inspirational five-a-day recipes,
• Social media posts on Tesco channels will also share healthy food content, showcasing the value that can be found in getting your five-a-day

Some of the key products being highlighted in deals and recipes include apples, oranges, lettuce and avocados, as well as frozen options like peas, sweetcorn and mixed vegetables.

Earlier this year, Tesco conducted regional health consultations in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation to understand the hurdles local communities across the UK face when it comes to healthy eating. It found inspiration, accessibility and confidence in cooking were among the biggest barriers, especially for families and young people. This campaign aims to tackle those barriers head on.

Notes to editors: 

* National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023 - report - GOV.UK (published June 2025)

Free British-grown apples will be available for kids in stores and Click & Collect, supplied by the following British suppliers:

1. Adrian Scripps Ltd
2. Mansfields
3. Allied Growers
4. AM Fresh
5. Charltons Farms
6. Wye Fruit

The Clubcard Challenges will run from 12 January-22 February 2026. 

This builds on Tesco’s existing work to making healthier choices easier for customers:

• Low prices on healthy choices through weekly Fresh Five offers on fresh fruit and veg, and two thirds of products in Aldi Price Match are healthy.
• Never using characters on own brand products to make unhealthy cereals or sweets more appealing to kids and, in 2022, scrapping multibuy deals on products high in fat, salt and sugar, so families don’t have to buy more than they need to access great value.
• Removing salt, sugar and fat, and adding fruit, veg and other nutrients. Whether that’s reformulating products like our own-brand children’s yoghurts to be some of the lowest sugar in the industry or making sure more of Tesco ready meals now contain at least one of your five-a-day.
• Bringing in new store layouts that put fresh produce and healthier options front and centre.
• Working towards a target for 65% of our food sales to be healthy by the end of this year.
• Supporting local communities to give kids a healthier start through Stronger Starts grants for schools that provide fruit, veg and cooking equipment, and investing £4 million this year to give thousands of young people fruit and vegetables every day at school.