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New research has revealed that over a third of parents let their children snack on chocolate or crisps rather than fruit because they are more convenient.

The survey also showed that more than half of parents believe it's also cheaper for their children to eat less healthy snack options.

The statistics follow claims by the Department of Health that over 500,000 children are putting the future health of their livers at risk because of their poor eating habits.

The kids' diet research was commissioned by South African fruit growers to find out about the differences between children's eating habits when they are at home compared with school. A sample of 1,005 parents of school-aged children was asked to answer a series of questions about their children's diets. The findings were as follows:

Over a third (41%) of parents said they let their children snack on junk food as it's
more convenient - or simply to stop them asking

Over half (53%) think their child has a better diet at school than at home

53% of parents say it is often cheaper/easier for their child to have less healthy snack options

More than half of parents said they find it hard to think of imaginative ways to provide a healthy diet for their child

Over a third (34.7%) of parents say that their children eat fewer than four pieces of fruit every week

Over a fifth (22%) of parents admit that their children eat at least five chocolate bars every week

Emma Williams, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "The statistics are a huge concern. It's the parent's responsibility to make sure that high fat, high sugary foods are eaten in moderation. As parents, we should be leading by example and providing our children with a healthy balanced diet."