One in three parents are skipping breakfast so their kids can eat, study finds

Beril Naz Hassan
Fri, 17 February 2023 

Parents are having to make tough decisions to make sure their kids are fed, study finds (Providence Doucet/Unsplash)

A new study has revealed that nearly one in three parents (31%) are making the decision to skip breakfasts so that they have enough food to give to their children.

The research, conducted by Quakers, also found that 19 per cent of Brits have used a food bank or the free food available at donation points to feed themselves and their family.

Aware of the dire circumstances many families are facing with rising energy prices, inflation, and the cost of living crisis, one in two Brits were unveiled to have donated money to a charity, while 55 per cent donated their items to help out.

When asked if they have helped out a neighbour during these tough times, 37 per cent said they had done.

The study’s results come amid an avalanche of strikes, with professionals across multiple industries sharing that they are having to go to food banks to feed their families.

Recently, the chair of the British Medical Association’s North Thames committee, Dr Arjan Nagra, told the Standard that junior doctors were having to use food banks, and make major financial sacrifices to pay their rents and heat their homes.

Similarly, the head of the Fire Brigades Union, Matt Wrack, previously said that some firefighters are using food banks.

Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, also shared his concerns about the growing number of officers who are struggling to make ends meet.

As the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Bank of England both anticipate a decline in the economy in the first half of 2023, families’ pockets are likely to be further affected.

Those who want to help are being urged to donate food and goods to their local food banks and collection points.

The Trussell Trust has compiled a list of suggested non-perishable food items to donate, including cereal, soup, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, lentils, beans, pulses, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tea/coffee, tinned fruit, biscuits, UHT milk, and fruit juice.

You can also donate non-food items, such as toiletries, household items, feminine products, and baby supplies.

Those who don’t have time to donate food can also choose to give money.