fruit and veg – Hinterland https://hinterland.org.uk Rural News Mon, 27 Jan 2020 03:02:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 Sleaford MP calls for more British fruit and veg to be grown and eaten to boost children’s health and the rural economy https://hinterland.org.uk/sleaford-mp-calls-for-more-british-fruit-and-veg-to-be-grown-and-eaten-to-boost-childrens-health-and-the-rural-economy/ Mon, 27 Jan 2020 03:01:08 +0000 http://hinterland.org.uk/?p=13301 Really interesting and thoughtful contribution about the future of health from one of my local M.Ps.

Sleaford and North Hykeham’s MP has called for more fruit and vegetables to be grown and consumed in the UK to boost people’s ‘five a day’ intake while supporting British farmers.

A farmer’s wife, Dr Caroline Johnson MP was speaking on Tuesday in the House of Commons in a debate on a continuation of direct payments to farmers for the coming year during the transition period after the UK leaves the EU.

In one of several points she made in the hearing of the Bill, she called for subsidy payments for farmers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to be speedy and also for small farmers to be supported in applying for some of the grants available.

She said: “What has changed is that, 30 years ago, 83 per cent of that fruit and veg was produced in the UK, and now only 54 per cent is grown here. That means that we have a huge capacity to improve the amount of home-grown fruit and veg. In fact, we could grow the sector by 66 per cent overnight if people were to consume their five a day immediately.”

She urged the department to think of the public good of producing extra food as well as producing environmental access improvements linked to grants for farmers and their land. 

“We should think of food production, particularly fruit and veg production, as a great public good for our society, as it would really help to improve the health of our nation.

]]> Healthy glow from vegetables is more attractive than a tan, scientists find https://hinterland.org.uk/healthy-glow-from-vegetables-is-more-attractive-than-a-tan-scientists-find/ Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:14:50 +0000 http://www.hinterland.org.uk/?p=2840

A new study from researchers at the Universities of Leeds and St Andrews has found eating the recommended five-a-day of fruit and vegetables is likely to bring a more attractive glow than sitting out in the sun. Researchers asked 60 volunteers to rate how attractive they found faces based on pigmentation caused from fruit and veg and from the sun. More than 75% of the sample said the healthy glow from a healthy diet was preferable to a tanned face. I wonder if this will encourage health eating and reduce sun bathing and the use of sun beds?

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