TESCO has kicked off the new year with its biggest investment in healthy eating products for more than two decades.

Britain’s biggest supermarket chain has splashed out £2.5m on an overhaul of its Healthy Living range and the introduction of a new brand, Light Choices, aimed at dieters.

The company has also rejuvenated its health website and launched a new online Healthy Living tracker that gives targeted, detailed advice on diet to shoppers.

The move follows research last year, which concluded that healthy eating had evolved significantly since the group’s Healthy Living range was created in 1985.

Carolyn Bradley, the commercial director in charge of the initiative, said that 20 years ago shoppers associated healthy eating largely with eating less salt and sugar and consuming fewer calories.

But today the healthy-eating agenda had moved on dramatically to become more about preventing disease by positively choosing foods such as broccoli or oily fish rich in omega 3 acids.

As a result, the Healthy Living range will be targeted at shoppers seeking a well-balanced diet, containing lots of natural foods, and the new Light Choices range will be targeted more at those just wanting to lose weight.

Bradley said: “Light Choices will be more singlemindedly focused on dieters and will include lighter versions of favourite foods to allow managed indulgence.”

The revamp comes only days after Tesco announced the introduction of a 30-minute health-check service in pharmacies at its stores.

The tests, which cost £20, comprise a four-in-one health check, including weight management, blood pressure and cholesterol checks as well as diabetes screening.

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