Takeaways, restaurants, cafés and coffee shops are being invited to get involved in a new scheme to encourage healthy eating in Mansfield.

Mansfield District Council has launched the Healthier Options Takeaway (HOT) award.

The scheme is co-ordinated by Nottinghamshire County Council in conjunction with district and borough councils and has been formulated to tackle obesity and encourage a balanced diet.

It aims to encourage cafés and takeaway restaurants to offer healthier options on their menu by making a few simple changes in how they prepare, cook and display their food.

Mansfield District Council has so far awarded four businesses — Foods for All Seasons, mobile caterer, West Gate; The Shiny Spoon, café, Toothill Lane; Casey’s, café, White Hart Street; and Rico, sandwich bar, Pecks Hill — with the merit after they met the criteria set out in a self-assessment form.

Stephen Gregory, of The Shiny Spoon, pictured centre, said: “What we get out of the HOT scheme is that we feel good that we are serving food that is healthier and it makes our customers feel better that they have had something healthy to eat.”

In Mansfield, businesses can apply for a HOT merit if the business has a food hygiene rating of three or above and offers healthier food options.

This can include things like offering to grill, bake, poach or steam food instead of frying it; removing salt from tables and counters; offering whole grain pasta, brown rice or whole grain bread; offering a vegetable side or salad as part of a meal; or offering smaller portion size options for adults.

There is no cost for applying for the merit. To find out more visit http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/HOT.

In Nottinghamshire, 67.3% of adults are overweight or obese, according to an Active People Survey for Sport England — worse than the England average of 64.6%. Mansfield has the worst record for obesity in the county: Ashfield 69.0%, Bassetlaw 70.1%, Broxtowe 63.1%, Gedling 69.4%, Mansfield 70.3%, Newark and Sherwood 67.4%, Rushcliffe 62.1%.

Coun Andrew Tristram, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, (pictured left) who has responsibility for health and well-being matters at the council, said: “This is a really useful scheme for helping to improve the health of people in Mansfield.

“I hope a lot more businesses will take advantage of being part of this scheme because it will not only benefit their customers but also heighten their own reputation. I would encourage members of the public to support those businesses that have made the commitment to providing healthy choices.”

Cllr Joyce Bosnjak, Chair of the Nottinghamshire Health and Wellbeing Board, (pictured) said: “Tackling obesity is a priority for the Health and Wellbeing Board, and looking at ways in which we can help people to achieve a more balanced diet when eating outside of the home is just one of the ways we’re looking at addressing this issue.

“Particularly in the New Year, we’re all thinking a little bit more about our diet. This isn’t about making sweeping changes to how people eat, but about working with businesses and residents to consider different ways of preparing or serving food so that people can still have that treat, but without some of the guilt.”