CHILDREN’S food brand Organix is campaigning to get children eating their vegetables after revealing that millions do not eat enough of them.

It is running a campaign called Good For Planet, Good For Me, fronted by popstar turned farmer JB Gill of the boy band JLS.

The Bournemouth-based company commissioned research showing 55 per cent of children aged four and under eat two portions of vegetables or fewer a day.

JB Gill – who presented the CBeebies programme Down on the Farm – will be encouraging children to take part in a range of activities to expose them to fruit and vegetables.

He said: “As a parent, I know how tough it can be to get your children eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. That’s why I’m so excited to be involved in this campaign because I know how important it is and if there’s an easier way to support parents and caregivers to do this, fantastic.

“As a father and a farmer, I also know how when you show kids and help them understand where food comes from, you’ll have much greater success in getting them to rethink their relationship with it. To that effect, we’ve created a wealth of amazing content to inspire parents, family members and nurseries. I can’t wait to share it with my two.”

Organix baby and toddler food has a new managing director

The campaign, run with the National Day Nurseries Association, includes Sea and Eat books produced by the University of Reading, along with food-themed songs, healthy recipes, outdoor activities and play with food.

Research commissioned by Organix among 1,000 parents found almost 116,000 children have no vegetables in their daily diet. It found Covid lockdowns had led to a rise in the amount of processed food children were eating.

A quarter of parents felt guilty about their children’s daily diet.

Almost half gave up on introducing new foods after six attempts, although it takes on average 11-15 times for children to take to a new food.

From Sunseeker to Jimmy's Iced Coffee: Dorset's famous brands

Organix managing director Mark Golder said: “Here at Organix, since we were founded nearly 30 years ago, we’ve been on a pioneering mission to develop a world where healthy and nutritious food is a real choice for everyone. We’re now the UK’s leading purpose-driven children’s food brand and we feel that we lead the way in delicious healthier food choices that little ones love and that parents and carers can rely on.”

He said the company’s past campaigning activity had raised the standards of competitors’ foods and helped inform the campaign for better school meals.

JLS reschedule 2021 tour to later this year

“We know that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are really pivotal in their physical development and also in the development of their attitudes towards food and we want to encourage children to enjoy varied and nutritious diets to support an overall active and healthy lifestyle.”

Founded in Christchurch by Lizzie Vann, Organix is now based in Commercial Road, Bournemouth, and is part of the international food group Hero.