Sainsbury’s is reintroducing £2 coupons to augment the NHS Healthy Start scheme, which is funded by the UK government, as a response to the cost of living crisis.

The supermarket said it will help half a million pregnant women and children. Sainsbury’s will be providing a £2 coupon every week over the next six months to customers using a Healthy Start card from 12 October until April 2023.

The coupon can be used to buy fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables. Sainsbury’s first introduced the coupon in 2021 to help families during the February half term period.

The NHS Healthy Starch scheme was set up to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and children under four in low-income households.

The supermarket claims customers redeeming a coupon purchased 13 more portions of fruit and vegetables per basket compared to those that did not receive the coupon.

Commenting on the news Ruth Cranston, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Sainsbury’s said: “We know that times are tough for millions of families across the country, and that the rising cost-of-living is causing uncertainty for many of our customers, so today we’ve announced that we’ll be topping up the Government funded NHS Healthy Start scheme by £2 for the third time.”

She added: “As part of our brand promise Helping Everyone Eat Better, we believe that everyone deserves to eat well, and the cost of healthy food shouldn’t be a barrier to this. We hope this additional support will ensure that good, quality food is accessible for everyone.”

Share Story: