A HAMPSHIRE council is encouraging more restaurants to offer healthy snacks.

Eastleigh Borough Council is backing the Eat Out Eat Well scheme which encourages restaurants to offer more healthy eating options.

It is hoped the Eat Out Eat Well campaign will help consumers make healthier choices when buying takeaways or eating out in cafés, sandwich shops and restaurants.

According to the Food Standards Agency, in the UK one in six meals is now consumed outside the home and Eat Out Eat Well will encourage food businesses to make small changes, such as reducing the fat, sugar and salt levels of dishes, and offering items such as fruit and water.

Food outlets that do this will be rewarded by Eastleigh Borough Council’s Environmental Health team, who will give successful businesses bronze, silver or gold awards based on the type of food on offer.

They will also take into consideration their cooking methods and how healthy choices are promoted to customers.

The scheme, which is being launched across Hampshire, was initially developed by Surrey County Council and has been well received by food businesses and consumers in other areas of the country.

Eastleigh Borough Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for housing and environmental health, Cllr Anne Winstanley said: “Every year many of us make a New Year’s resolution to be a little bit healthier.

“But sticking to it is often difficult, particularly when eating out plays such a big part in modern-day life.

“The Eat Out Eat Well scheme is part of a wider approach to help people make manageable lifestyle changes.

“We are fortunate in Eastleigh to have an array of great places to eat out and, for those businesses, it’s an opportunity to improve further and demonstrate that they put their customers first.”

The campaign’s launch coincides with a new Sugar Smart campaign from Change4Life which encourages families to cut back on sugar with the help of a simple, free app that reveals the surprising amounts of sugar in everyday food and drinks.

Businesses interested in taking part in Eat Out Eat Well scan go to eastleigh.gov.uk or email eoew@eastleigh.gov.uk.