A poll carried out by Mori for the CRC and Iceland has found that as many as 200,000 children in England and Wales have eaten neither fruit nor vegetables over the past week.

The survey, of a sample of 2.635 11-16 year olds found that five to six per cent of those questioned had not eaten any fresh produce in the previous seven days.

On average, children are eating fewer than 13 portions of fruit and vegetables a week. This falls far short of the government recommendation of five portions a day.

The campaign welcomed the national fruit scheme, which the government has introduced for primary school children, but said more needed to be done. 'We mustn't forget older children and teenagers and the need to encourage them to eat well,' said Lesley Walker, CRC's director of cancer information. 'There is growing evidence to suggest a good diet can reduce cancer deaths by up to a third. While cancer is a disease that generally affects older people, it is so important to lay the foundations of a healthy lifestyle early on. We need to do all we can to encourage children to be used to eating a balanced diet.' The survey also revealed that carrots and sweetcorn are the most popular vegetables while Brussels sprouts were the most hated vegetable on the list for two in five of those surveyed. Strawberries were the favourite fruit ahead of apples, although bananas and kiwifruit also scored well. Meanwhile tomatoes and avocados topped the most hated list.

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