Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued on encouraging pregnant women to eat fruit.

Public Health England's Start4Life social marketing programme encourages pregnant women to eat a healthy diet that includes fruit. Its website includes information and guidance on healthy eating and fruit consumption, e.g. directing mothers-to-be to practical tools such as a 28 day plan for boosting fruit (and vegetable) intake during pregnancy, and can be accessed via:

http://www.nhs.uk/start4life

Start4Life’s Information Service for Parents email programme encourages the consumption of fruit via an easy ways to eat Five a Day digital tool, and promotes the Healthy Start food vouchers scheme, which enables young mothers-to-be and those on low incomes to get free fruit.

Start4Life leaflets and posters are also available for healthcare professionals to order (free of charge) to help them give information on healthy eating and fruit consumption in pregnancy to their service users.