ST CUTHBERT’S Hospice has taken the message of healthy eating and drinking into the centre of Durham.

To mark Nutrition Hydration Week, hospice staff and volunteers were in Durham Market Place today (Thursday, March 19) to offer shoppers samples of wok meals and smoothies and give healthy eating advice including how to eat well for less.

Carole Lynne, the hospice’s guest services manager, said: “Our hospice tries to help families in County Durham every single day and we always provide healthy, nutritious and tasty options to our patients.

“We try to spread the word as much as possible, but especially in Nutrition Hydration Week, we want to offer ideas on what to serve up at home that is easy to make and cost effective.”

She added: “When you think that your five portions of fruit and veg can include dried, canned and juices as well as frozen and fresh, it is a lot less daunting.”

Dr Pippa Lovell , a nutrition and palliative care specialist at the hospice, said: “Something like a third of all cancers are attributable to poor diet and a poor diet can make cancers more difficult to treat.

“Just by adding some vegetables to our normal dinners and having some fruit makes a huge difference to our health and wellbeing.”