FIVE is the magic number in a healthy new initiative to be rolled out across the Morecambe Bay area.

Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust is launching Five-a-Day in the Lancaster District in a bid to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables.

It aims to get the message across through projects with schools, community groups, youth groups and other organi-sations.

A special team is now consulting local people to find out what it will take to persuade them to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

One idea they are already keen to push is to work with schools to develop food policies, run healthy tuck shops and teach both pupils and staff more about how to eat a healthy balanced diet.

"It's really important to teach our children how to eat well and give them the opportunity to eat more fruit and vegetables in school," says Claire Drury, a food development co-ordinator with Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust.

She is also keen to give people more access to fruit and vegetables and to help schools and others set up community growing projects.

Ms Drury says people are already showing interest in 'cook and eat' classes to enable them to develop cooking skills in a fun and sociable way.

"For five-a-day to be really successful, we need to work with people to find out how we can help them to feel they have the skills to choose and cook good food. We can then plan and develop projects to make sure we are meeting their needs," she says