More than 150 new and expecting mums have benefitted from special healthy food boxes as part of a scheme run by Leicestershire County Council.
The project forms part of Good Food Leicestershire’s work to understand how the council can support residents to access healthier foods.
The aim is to improve health and minimise diet-related risks for women who are overweight in pregnancy and post pregnancy by working with social enterprise Venner UK.
The new mothers are also being provided with nutrition advice and guidance to help them to create positive eating habits within their new families.
The food boxes provide five days of breakfasts, snacks, and evening meals for both the mum and her family, alongside a meal plan and recipe booklet.
Providing easy and affordable access to fresh ingredients and new recipes will also enable a shift towards healthier eating habits.
Participants will also receive a months’ worth of support and access to an online resource hub with additional recipes, cooking skills videos and nutritional advice.
Pregnant women in Leicestershire can also benefit from support from Leicestershire Weight Management Service.
The service pairs pregnant women with a nutritionist who will explore food safety and provide information about nutrition. The nutritionist can also help them to make informed healthier food choices during pregnancy and understand the benefits of doing so.
During a Leicestershire pilot of the new initiative in 2020, all of the families that took part said they had learned something new, with 86 per cent including at least one of the recipes in their weekly food plan.
We look forward to working with families across the county, and with Venner, to explore new ways to approach mealtimes and understand what appeals most.
This project works towards one key strand of Good Food Leicestershire and we are proud to be supporting people and encouraging them to grow, cook, buy and eat good food.
Hopefully this initiative will encourage families to make long-term changes in their eating habits and help them to maintain a healthier lifestyle
Person:Louise Richardson, Cabinet Member for Public HealthVenner’s UK Country Manager, Laura Holland, said: “Being a mum is stressful enough but eating healthily is fundamental to the physical and mental wellbeing of both mums and kids and it really doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
“It’s our aim to work with families to introduce quick and easy, low waste dishes that taste great and give everybody around the table the nutritional goodness they need to feel better and live better.
“It’s a pleasure to be working with Leicestershire County Council again and helping even more families make a difference to their lives.”