“Fletcher is a really kind, sweet boy. If he knows someone’s upset, he’ll go and give them a cuddle.” The three-year-old, who was on his mum’s hip, was quick to agree with his mum as she showered him with compliments about his character. Fletcher’s mother, Emma, brings her son to a local United Kingdom nursery for daycare. Here, he receives a filling and healthy breakfast, lunch, and the option for dinner every single weekday.
As part of Vitamin Angels UK’s supplementary feeding program, Fletcher’s nursery receives a weekly shipment of fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich items to enrich the nutritional content of the meals that are offered. The school uses the additional ingredients to make fresh meals and snacks for all of the students.
Fletcher has been coming to the nursery since he was an infant. Emma credits the nursery for helping to give her son a balanced diet and contributing to his ever-expanding palate. “He used to hate salad, absolutely hated it. I’d put it on his plate, and he’d refuse to eat it. He now absolutely loves cucumber. He loves tomatoes. And I think if it weren’t for the fact that this nursery offers those healthy options, he probably would still hate them to this day.”
One of four children in the United Kingdom grows up at risk of food insecurity and undernourishment (micronutrient deficiency). Programs like this one, help fill the gap by providing nutrient-rich foods to children so they can continue to grow up healthy and reach their full potential. Emma says she hopes Fletcher grows up to be, “…happy, healthy, achieve whatever he wants in life, and be the best person he can be.”