Majority of schoolchildren buy lunch from takeaways at least once a week

MOST schoolchildren buy a takeaway for their lunch at least once a week, according to a study into child obesity.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) research found that 60 per cent of 11- to 16-year-olds said they bought food such as chips or fried chicken from takeaways at lunchtime or after school at least once a week

Takeaways are too readily available to children, the BNF warned, pointing to the results of the survey, that also found that 48 per cent of primary school students and 39 per cent of secondary school students reported eating three or more snacks a day. While fruit was the most popular snack among the majority, this was closely followed by less healthy options, with almost half of children aged 7–11 saying they snacked on crisps (46 per cent) and chocolate (46 per cent).

The survey revealed that many children do not enjoy eating healthily, with 36 per cent saying that they did not like healthy foods, 20 per cent dismissing healthy foods as boring and 12 per cent unsure what the healthiest foods were.