PUPILS at Wren’s Nest Primary School have launched a new health campaign where Dudley children are encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Six borough schools have signed up to the Food Dudes scheme, which aims to change children’s eating habits for good.

Funded by NHS Dudley Public Health, the project will enable up to 4,200 children at primary and special schools to participate every year for the next three years, by encouraging them to try a variety of fruit and vegetables at school and at home as part of a drive to tackle rising childhood obesity levels.

As an incentive, prizes and rewards are dished out to all children brave enough to munch through food they have never tasted before.

Valerie Little, Director of Public Health,said: "The ‘Food Dudes’ programme aims to change children’s eating habits for life. Eating habits are established in early life and a poor diet in childhood can lead to ill-health when people grow up. To change children’s diets, it’s not enough just to give them healthy food, you also have to motivate them to eat and enjoy it and this programme does just that."

Ruth Wylie, Headteacher at Wren’s Nest Primary School, said: “This is a great opportunity to encourage children to eat fruit and vegetables and the programme helps children to train their taste buds. Our children have loved taking part in the programme – eating fruit and vegetables with the Food Dudes is definitely cool at Wren’s Nest”