A SCHEME to encourage parents to give their babies healthy food was launched in east Durham yesterday.

Practical demonstrations showing parents how to prepare food and the importance of introducing children to fruit and vegetables are being held in Peterlee this month.

In partnership with the Sure Start programme, Joanne Egan, nutrition assistant with Easington Primary Care Trust's (PCT) Strive for Five project, is hosting four sessions to help introduce parents to healthy infant diets.

It is hoped by increasing parents' confidence in cookery skills and nutritional knowledge, they will be more likely to give their babies fresh fruit and vegetables from an early age.

Every parent who attends the session will be given a free weaning starter kit with electric blender, knife, peeler, chopping board, storage container, weaning spoons and a recipe pack.

Gillian Murray, Five A Day co-ordinator at Easington PCT, said yesterday: "We are delighted with the interest we have received from local parents. We hope that this will lead to babies' first foods being healthy foods.''