Healthier Foods

Help us improve access to affordable healthy food!

We want to hear:

• what you think about the pre-prepared hot or cold food available to you
• when and why you buy ready-made food
• and what makes you choose one shop or vendor over another.

Sharing your views and experiences will help us understand how people in Oxfordshire use takeaways, cafes, restaurants and convenience stores. We will use this information to develop a voluntary scheme to encourage out-of-home food businesses to offer healthier, affordable options that people can access easily.

This is part of a larger effort to improve our local food environment.

Why are we doing this?

Childhood obesity affects 10 per cent of children aged 4-5 years and 20 per cent of children aged 11-12 years, whilst around two-thirds of adults live with excess weight or obesity.

Excess weight is a major contributor to ill-health, when we talk about promoting a 'healthy weight,' we’re focusing on more than just weight itself. It’s about lowering the risk of long-term health issues and helping people live healthier lives.

Research shows that food from out-of-home food businesses tends to be high in calories – often more than the 600 calories per meal recommended by Public Health England.

Your feedback will inform our response to the Healthy Weight Health Needs Assessment 2023, and help us explore options to support and incentivise local food outlets to provide greater access to affordable, healthier food options.