They are looking at extending a voucher scheme that subsidises healthy eating among poorer families, to cover frozen fruit and vegetables, and have cited the chef as their inspiration.
Under the Healthy Start scheme pregnant women and low-income families are entitled to vouchers to buy fresh fruit, veg and milk.
These vouchers would also be valid to buy frozen fruit and vegetables under the proposal, now being consulted upon.
The Department of Health hopes the move will help more people to eat the target of five items of fresh fruit and veg a day, as well as cutting down on food waste.
Explaining the reasoning behind the idea, a spokesman said: ” ‘Cheating’ in the kitchen to make healthy dinners is no longer a sin, thanks to top chefs like Delia Smith, who have recently come out of the closet in their use of frozen fruit and vegetables in cooking.”
Delia came under fire two years ago for suggesting culinary short cuts in her book, How to Cheat at Cooking, such as using Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen mashed potato for ‘good old shepherd’s pie’ and chargrilled aubergine slices from Asda for another recipe.
The book rejected a growing middle-class food orthodoxy that everything must be fresh and organic.
But her approach – which saw her clash with Jamie Oliver over the merits of free-range chickens – won plaudits from many, who said she better understood the day-to-day needs of the average British household.
Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, said: “Plain frozen fruit and vegetables count towards your five-a-day and can contain as many – if not more – vitamins than poorly stored fresh produce.
“Frozen goods are often cheaper than fresh and they can last longer, so there’s less food waste too. This would mean that families on Healthy Start have access to a much greater range of produce all year round.”
Amanda Ursell, a nutritionist, said: “Families need easy access to healthier food, and a bag of frozen fruit or vegetables from the local corner shop when fresh produce isn’t available can be a healthy lifeline to go with any meal.
“Frozen fruit and vegetables give parents far more flexibility so it makes complete sense to include frozen fruit and vegetables in Healthy Start.”
Telegraph Uk