From lentil pasta to veg-packed ready meals: how your shopping basket is becoming healthier and more sustainable
About a quarter of all greenhouse gases come from food. But not all food has the same environmental impact. In fact, there is a strong correlation between what is good for us, and what is good for the planet: if everyone in the UK ate according to the NHS's Eatwell Guide, we'd reduce emissions by 31%.
Improving our diets would also go a long way towards tackling the obesity crisis. In 2023, 64% of adults in England were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity. With the associated risks of chronic disease caused by being overweight, including cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver and respiratory conditions, it's vital we find ways as a nation to overcome this pressing public health concern.
We all want to feel better about the food we buy and the meals we make, and there are some positive trends emerging. An increasing number of people are embracing regular meat-free meals; and retailers are reporting that shoppers are turning to healthier products, such as beans, pulses and other vegetables, which can pack a protein punch as well as a vitamin and fibre boost. 'More and more we are seeing customers including one or two meat-free meals into their weekly routine,' says Tesco development chef Ollie Pedrick. Indeed, by the end of 2025, Tesco aims to ensure that 65% of its total sales come from healthy foods, as defined by the government's nutrient profiling model (NPM).
However, the challenge is to not only respond to customers' growing awareness, but also to encourage more of them to try new, healthier alternatives. So, what has Tesco been doing to help improve the nation's diet?
In-store supportWhen browsing supermarket shelves in recent years, you may have noticed some items aren't where they used to be. This is due to the UK government's regulations around how products high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) are sold. As the location of products in-store affects what we buy, healthier eating habits can be encouraged simply by making healthier foods more easily accessible and more visible.
Tesco has welcomed these changes, as part of its wider plans to support customers to adopt healthier diets. In 2023, it reaffirmed its voluntary commitment to not sell HFSS products through volume-led promotions*, and its responsible marketing policy includes a commitment to not communicate directly to children. Additionally, any products you see featured in 'back to school' promotions or children's lunchbox communications are free from artificial colours, flavours, and hydrogenated fat. In fact, all Tesco own-brand children's products are healthy, or recognised as being part of a child's healthy, balanced diet, as defined by the government's NPM.
To make it easier to find and make healthier choices when you shop, Tesco has rolled out Better Baskets zones. These dedicated areas can be found in-store, and online, and are stocked with multi-buy deals and foods that are plant-based, high in fibre or protein, or under 100 calories, including flexitarian essentials, products designed to boost gut health, and healthier nibbles for kids.
Making healthy eating easySome changes made by Tesco are less recent, but continue to evolve. Since 2018, Tesco's development chefs have been working on making its most popular products healthier, for instance, by increasing the amount of vegetables and fibre in Tesco's own-brand favourites, while reducing calories and saturated fat, salt and sugar in hundreds of own-brand products. More than half of Tesco's ready meals now contain one of your five-a-day and, to make everyday meals a bit healthier, there are easy switches available on Tesco's shelves, such as pasta made from fibre-packed lentil flour.
For those who prefer to cook from scratch, the Tesco Real Food website is packed with quick, easy recipes to suit even the fussiest of eaters. From family favourites such as veggie pizza tortillas to filling breakfast ideas (including fluffy banana pancakes you'd never guess were vegan), there's plenty there to keep customers coming back for more of the good stuff. 'Swapping out some of the meat in a recipe for some lentils or extra veg is a simple and effective way to pack more nutrients into a dish,' says Pedrick.
More affordable fruit and vegWhile all these changes are welcome, perhaps the most important factor when it comes to making healthier choices is cost, which is why making healthier food more affordable is a priority. As such, Tesco has introduced a range of initiatives to keep fresh food prices appealing, including the Fresh 5 Clubcard offer, which sees five new seasonal fruit and veg options sold at lower prices every fortnight. Tesco also offers the Aldi Price Match, matching the prices of more than 500 products, including fresh fruit, veg and herbs, which are checked twice a week against Aldi's, to make sure its products are competitively priced. Clubcard Prices also mean members can access discounts on many healthy products.
While it's never been easier to make healthier and more sustainable choices, it's also now more cost effective than ever. So, over to you …
Want to know more? Watch the video Journey to Greener Groceries: Healthy and Sustainable Diets, and find out how Tesco is helping us all eat a bit better while protecting the planet too
* Excluding Christmas party food and Frozen 5 for 4
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