A NEW initiative has been launched to help people eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Entitled Five-a-Day in Airedale and Craven, the project aims to make it easier for people to achieve the target, with support from a range of local agencies.

It has long been recognised that fruit and vegetables are beneficial for health, with research showing the anti-oxidant nutrients and dietary fibre contained in both can go a long way in preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers.

It has also been recognised that some people do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, and the initiative aims to help solve this.

It is argued that people need better sources of quality, affordable produce near their homes. Journeys to stores with a bigger choice of fruit and veg at affordable prices can be financially or physically difficult, particularly for those in areas where car ownership levels are low and where there are higher proportions of single-parent families and older people.

"We are working to make it possible for local people to reach the five-a-day target," explained project co-ordinator Dr Ann Hobbiss, of the clinical epidemiology research unit at the University of Bradford.

She said the idea was not to force people to eat more fruit and vegetables but to make them more available so people had a choice.

"Where people don't eat much fruit and veg, the problem is not usually lack of awareness of healthy eating messages. Often it is that the produce is not accessible, available or affordable enough," added Emma Thomas, chief executive of Craven Primary Care Group.

"Historically, not much work has been done in this area around making fruit and vegetables accessible to local people."

Sue Bartlett, a health visitor from Silsden who sits on the project planning team, said: "We are trying to help people make choices for themselves to influence their health in the long term.

"Now that new technologies are squeezing home economics and food science off the school agenda, we have to show younger people how to use fresh food. And we are encouraging local people to re-examine their shopping choices. After all, bananas and apples are as cheap and quick as crisps and chocolates and far better for you."

The project has won Department of Health funding and is one of five pilot schemes.