Tesco has confirmed the return of its popular free fruit initiative for 2026.
Until Tuesday, 13 January, families will once again be able to grab free items from check-outs at more than 800 stores across the UK. The supermarket expects to dish out more than 3 million healthy treats over the coming weeks.
Ashwin Prasad, the chain’s CEO, said: “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.”
How to claim free fruit from Tesco
The supermarket’s latest free fruit offering is due to run for two weeks, between 30 December-13 January.
Children shopping with their families will be able to pick up free apples from more 800 branches. The supermarket has not confirmed yet which type of Tesco store the offer will feature in.
It will also be on offer to Click & Collect customers using 119 of Tesco’s large stores.
The apples themselves will be British-grown and provided by six suppliers based across the UK.
How to get more fruit and veg into your diet
Fewer than one in five people in the UK are thought to regularly eat enough fruit and vegetables, meaning millions could be missing out on vital vitamins and nutrients, not to mention fibre, which is key to reducing the risk of diseases such as bowel cancer.
The British Nutrition Foundation, which has partnered with Tesco for the supermarket’s campaign, stresses there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to diet, but recommends six basic principles of healthy eating:
Try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Look for fibre-rich foods, especially whole grains
Include a range of proteins, including beans, peas and lentils
If you don’t dairy products, looks for alternatives which have been fortified with key nutrients
Where possible, opt for foods with unsaturated fats and oils, as opposed to saturated fats
Try to limit your intake of food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugars
Nuts and seeds can be incorporated very easily with a sprinkling on porridge or breakfast cereal, mixed into salads or used as a garnish – just a handful of pomegranate seeds, for example, counts as one of your five-a-day and are packed with immune system-boosting antioxidants.
If you’re dealing with picky eaters, your cheese grater can be a low effort tool for sneaking shredded veg into sauces and stews.
Nutritious meals packed with vegetables don’t need to break the bank either, such as this soup – or these, if you want variety.
People using weightloss jabs can struggle to continue meeting theory nutritional requirements while undergoing treatment, but a new range of ‘nutrient dense’ products from Marks and Spencer could help them and others who struggle with eating for health reasons.