Almost half of all low income parents have skipped meals for their children, a survey says

Nearly half of parents in low-income households have skipped meals so their children don’t go hungry.

A poll of 1,000 low-income households found 47 per cent are now experiencing more financial pressure to feed the family compared to six months ago.

As a result, 61 per cent admitted they are likely to go hungry so their children don’t have to.

Of those, 37 per cent aren’t able to afford a full food shop to feed the whole family.

Parents have also chosen to make larger portions for their children than themselves (46 per cent), given children half their meal (39 per cent) – or even skipped meals entirely (44 per cent).

This has left parents feeling sad (32 per cent), like a failure (25 per cent) and tired (22 per cent).

Especially as 27 per cent per cent said their children often complain about still being hungry after they have been fed.

The research was commissioned by Aldi, which has launched “The Adult’s Breakfast Club”, which aims to help ensure no one goes without food first thing in the day, as breakfast was found to be the most common meal to miss.

Liz Fox, corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, said: “We believe having access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege.

“The thought that parents are having to skip meals to ensure their children can eat is terrible.

“Our partnership with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from our stores helps to support the communities where we operate, but we want to be able to help parents too.

“We hope the Adult Breakfast Club will help provide everyday breakfast essentials to parents who otherwise would be going without.”

The research also found a third are buying less food now than they were six months ago – due to the rising costs of living.

Some of the biggest cutbacks include key breakfast items such as butter, milk, and cereal.

And 31 per cent of parents surveyed rely on their children being provided their first meal of the day by their school, according to the stats by OnePoll.

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “We are now seeing the real-world effects of the cost-of-living-crisis, and this is what it looks like.

“Parents sitting with empty, or half-empty, plates at mealtimes to ensure their children have enough food.

“Creating a dedicated Breakfast Club to ensure these parents are getting the nutrients they need and deserve is a brilliant initiative and one we hope will make a tangible difference in our community.”

The Aldi Adult’s Breakfast Club runs from today, with the supermarket chain donating ten tons of cereal and 5,000 gallons of milk and milk alternatives to food banks across the country.

Customers can add to the existing donation on the Aldi website where £5 will provide thirty breakfast meals.