News

According to the research more than half of families are having to look for cheaper food alternatives and 28% can no longer afford to buy as much healthy food for their children. Half of all parents have missed a meal so their child can eat.  

More than one in five expect to miss a meal over the summer holiday period, with a further 36% saying they will eat less so that they can put food on the table for their children.

Meals & More was founded by foodservice wholesaler Brakes in 2015 when it recognised that millions of children were missing out on nutritious food when schools were closed for the holidays. 

Peter McGrath, operations director at Meals & More, said: “The findings of our survey are incredibly sad and concerning, with half of parents having had to seek out some sort of support over the past year from friends, family or charities.

“And with more than half of all people thinking it will be at least two years before their financial situation will improve, this is going to be a problem for some time to come. With the school holidays approaching, parents will be having sleepless nights worrying about how they are going to put food on the table.

“Charities like Meals & More can provide some respite by funding holiday clubs across the country, where children can get a healthy meal. The problem, however, is now so widespread that we can’t help everyone, and we need more help from the Government.”

Around half of parents will not be taking a summer holiday this year, as they are concerned about their finances and cannot afford it, which means that millions of children will miss out on life-enhancing experiences.

Meals & More has launched its Big Day Out, which will offer children living with poverty the opportunity to enjoy a day out over the summer holidays through the clubs it supports.