CHILDREN in Southampton are among the healthiest in the UK when it comes to eating their five-a-day. 

New research has revealed that the average child in Southampton is eating three items of fruit and vegetables a day, making the city the second healthiest place in the UK.

However, eight out of ten children in Southampton are still not getting their full five-a-day. Overall, one in ten parents in the UK believe that chips count as one of their kids’ five-a-day, according to research by fruit snack company Fruit Bowl.

They also found that 90 percent of children under 10 in the UK are not eating their five-a-day,

Nutritional therapist Filomena Komodromou said: “Fruit and vegetables contain a variety of key nutrients vital for the growth and development of children. For example, vitamin C, found in strawberries, broccoli, peppers and kiwis, boost our immune system. They also contain fibre which is important for improving gut health.”

In a bid to get fruit and vegetables into a child’s diet, almost a quarter of parents say they hide them in other dishes, such as putting finely-chopped carrots in spaghetti bolognese. And 15 per cent tell their kids that eating five-a-day will give them superpowers like Super Man.