"Healthy" kid food launched by supermarket

They have long been a classic staple of nutritionally-lacking 'kid food' - frozen potatoes shaped like smiley faces or shaped tinned spaghetti which were served up to every 1980s child at the dinner table on a regular basis.

Butternut squash stars are first in the new range.

But now, healthy foods created to appeal to children have been launched by a major supermarket.

Traditionally a technique used for products like tinned alphabet spaghetti and frozen potato dishes, the range is the first time this approach has been used for fresh fruit and veg.

Smiley sweet potato faces and chunks of butternut squash shaped like stars are among a new selection of foods produced by Tesco to “make mealtimes more engaging and fun”.

Tesco vegetable buyer Elizabeth Hall said: “We want to give parents a helping hand with encouraging their kids to eat more vegetables.

“We’ve taken away a lot of the hassle out of preparing vegetables like butternut squash, which might deter busy cooks at home, whilst also making them more appealing for children.

“We hope by adding a touch of novelty, we can make vegetables the deliciously nutritious and fun part of every meal.”

Ali Capper, chairman of the NFU’s Horticulture Board said: “We have long been calling on food manufacturers to create fun-shaped fruit and veg for children in smaller-sized portions, which we believe could have a role in helping reverse the current obesity crisis.”