MORE children in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are being offered one free fruit or vegetable when they visit select LuLu Hypermarket outlets on select weekends between Nov. 9 and Dec. 21, through the “Adopt a Fruit, adopt a Vegetable” initiative, launched earlier this year by United for Healthier Kids – a program developed by Nestlé to create partnerships that help nurture healthier generations.

“The initial phase of the program was launched in April and was a huge success, encouraging us to do this again,” said Shehim Mohammed, Director Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, “We ended up distributing more than one ton of fruits and vegetables across more than 30 LuLu Hypermarket outlets in six countries, creating positive impact among kids towards fruits and vegetables consumption.”

The initiative, which also includes year-round displays and dissemination of information on the benefits of fruits and vegetables, is a coming together of Nestlé Middle East with LuLu Hypermarket to advocate for the ‘More Fruits & Vegetables’ behavior called for by United for Healthier Kids; which capitalizes on the generosity of Arab culture by promoting More Movement, More Water, More Fruits & Vegetables, and More Managed Portions – behaviors scientifically proven* to positively impact quality of life, especially if adopted at an early age.

“Our purpose at Nestlé is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, which we know can best be done through collaborations,” said Patricia El Chammas, United for Healthier Kids Manager at Nestlé Middle East. “We are committed to promoting healthy diets and lifestyles specifically among children, and evidence* from our various research indicates that children who try new fruits and vegetables are likely to consume more of them.”

The More Fruits and Vegetables call will be brought to life through various characters created out of fruits and vegetables, with names and key benefits of each presented in a fun and appealing manner.

As part of a global commitment to leadership in child nutrition, Nestlé Middle East launched United for Healthier Kids in 2015 in partnership with various public and private sector entities, in the aim of helping parents establish healthier eating, drinking and lifestyle habits for children aged 4 to 12.

United for Healthier Kids offers game-changing education and fun ideas to inspire action and influence behavior, using messaging interventions to gently nudge parents and their kids towards actions scientifically proven* to improve their health.

“We invite everybody to unite for healthier kids by joining the movement at www.U4HK-me.com, and to download the Tummyfish App which encourages children to drink More Water,” El Chammas noted. — SG