The National Farmers Union survey questioned 200 children aged four to 14 and found that 11 per cent of those who skip breakfast do so to lose weight. A fifth of children miss out because they oversleep and of those who do eat breakfast, none of those surveyed ate any fruit.

Cereal was the most popular breakfast among 43 per cent followed by porridge for 30 per cent and 13 per cent of those questioned eat a cooked breakfast.

The NFU is backing Farmhouse Breakfast Week to try and encourage parents and schools to serve up better breakfasts. NFU member and Farmhouse Breakfast Week organiser, Maggie Berry said: 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it's rapidly becoming a thing of the past for some school children.

'Eating breakfast provides energy to start off the day and increases concentration and mental performance, which are vital for school lessons. We were shocked by how many children skip it - and some for very worrying reasons indeed.

'Farmhouse Breakfast Week aims to remind as all how crucial breakfast is to everyone's health and wellbeing, but particularly our children's.' Farmhouse Breakfast Week is organised by the Home Grown Cereals Authority, Food From Britain, the Meat & Livestock Commission and Lion Quality Eggs. It is supported by the NFU and the Women's Food and Farming Union.

Topics