More than a quarter of families with young children are buying less meat as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit pockets.
According to new research from Red Tractor and YouGov, young families are the most impacted when it comes to the weekly food shop.
Over a quarter (27%) say they are buying less meat, while 18 percent are buying fewer fruits and vegetables due to the cost-of-living crisis.
And over a third of families with children under 12 say they are replacing meat with carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta.
Recent research from the British Nutrition Foundation shows budgets for school dinners across the country are seeing real terms cuts and compliance with standards is not being upheld.
This means children are increasingly likely to be missing out on vital nutrients from a balanced diet both at school and in the home.
In the past year, there has also been a shift toward grocery shopping at non-food cut-price retailers, with 18% of parents buying groceries from non-food cut-price retailers, such as Poundland and B&M Bargains.
On top of this, 33% of families are buying what they consider to be lower quality food as they look for cheaper options, compared to just 20% of households without children.
This comes despite concerns that less-expensive products may have been produced to a lower quality (55%), have a greater negative impact on the environment (36%), and are less safe (19%.)
Meanwhile, nearly half (42%) of parents with young children believe the quality of food they can afford will decline further over the next 12 months.
Jim Moseley, CEO of Red Tractor said the research laid bare the choices parents feel they have to make due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on food prices.
"We are making it clear to consumers that families should never have to make a choice between quality, safety and value when it comes to their child’s nutrition," he said.
"That’s why assurance marques are so vital, so when parents see the Red Tractor logo they know that whatever the price point it’s safe, traceable, and farmed with care."
