Children aged three to 12 are being given a piece of fresh fruit at least three times a week as part of a healthy eating initiative launched last week at St Cuthbert's Primary School.
The Fruit Plus project, backed by the City Council and Greater Glasgow Health Board and sponsored by Sainsbury's supermarket, is being piloted at 12 of the city's primary and nursery schools for three months. If successful, it will be extended to all Glasgow's council-run nurseries and primary schools later this year.
The Government recently announced a programme across England and Wales to provide free fruit to children aged four to six. Glasgow is the first city in the UK to offer it to all three-to 12-year-olds. The fruit, donated by Sainsbury's, includes red and green apples, satsumas, bananas, grapes, cherry tomatoes and pears.
As part of the project children will be taught why a healthy diet is important and encouraged to take the message to their friends and families.
Scottish health minister Susan Duncan said, 'This is great news for Glasgow children and their families - and an important signal to the rest of the country.
'Improving the diet of our children will help them to enjoy better health and longer lives. This Glasgow initiative fits very well with our national effort to improve Scotland's health. We are committing more than 100m over the next few years in a ground-breaking Health Improvement Fund to support local initiatives and help local communities towards better health. Increasing the amount of fresh fruit our youngsters eat is one crucial part of that.'