Half-time orange slice, anyone? Lidl GB promotes healthy eating ahead of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025

Ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Lidl GB is launching a campaign to bring back half-time orange slices.

It comes as new research reveals:  

• Half of Brits who played sport as children remember the iconic half-time orange as a core memory from childhood football matches.

• This nostalgia is strongest amongst those aged 55 and over, with 64% remembering the tradition, vs only 29% of 18-24-year-olds.

• This half-time ritual has disappeared over the years and been replaced with cereal bars (35%), protein bars (5%) and even chocolate (30%) and crisps (27%), while fewer than one in five parents (19%) still choose the humble orange slice.

As the official fresh fruit and vegetable partner of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Lidl is offering 250 grassroots teams across Great Britain the chance to pick up free oranges to enjoy at half-time throughout the Women’s Euros tournament.

Registered nutritionist, Dr Hazel Wallace, also known as The Food Medic, says: “As a nutritionist and someone who’s always been active, I know how important food is for fuelling performance and supporting recovery - ideally from whole foods.”

“Oranges have been a classic half-time snack for years (I remember having them during hockey and football matches), and they offer a refreshing combination of fluid, electrolytes, and vitamin C. That makes them great for hydration and supporting immune function with the added bonus of being naturally sweet and easy to digest.”

The research revealed why the ritual has fallen off our radars. For many parents it’s because they are messy (33%) and too much effort to bring (31%). Yet 62% agree it would be a good idea to bring back the orange slice ritual to their kid’s football games. 

Amongst those who agree with this sentiment almost two thirds of parents think it’s an affordable and accessible snack (65%) and it’s an easy way to get their child(ren) eating more fresh fruit and getting one of their five-a-day (62%). Parents also pointed to it being traditional (47%) and a good way to step back for a short time from the competitive nature of the game (41%).

Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl, says: “There’s something brilliantly nostalgic about the humble orange slice – a half-time memory that’s stayed with many of us since childhood.”

“As the official fresh fruit and vegetable partner of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, we’re proud to bring the nation together in support of the England and Wales teams. Whether you’re pitch side or watching from home, it’s a fun and meaningful way to celebrate the tournament - and a great reminder that fresh fruit remains a simple, feel-good choice for everyday athletes.”