The cost of living crisis will mean children not eating as healthily as they should, one mum has warned.
Mum-of-two Ashleigh Reynolds says she has already stopped buying potatoes because of the energy needed to cook them.
Ms Reynolds - who lives in West Earlham with her two sons Archie, eight, and Leon, four - added that she fears having to turn to frozen food because of the spiking cost of fresh fruit and vegetables.
“Let’s face it, it’s way cheaper than fruits and vegetables," the 30-year-old said. "I am going to be less likely to buy potatoes because of the sheer cost to cook them.
“This means I will avoid things like cheese and potato pie because it uses the hob and the oven so the cost of the food paired with the cost to cook it means it is no longer a cheap meal.
“I think that many people will struggle to afford food for their children going forward.
“Especially since food vouchers for children during the school holidays have stopped.
“It’s like we got the food vouchers to help us, then things got expensive and they stopped just when people needed them the most.”
Ms Reynolds believes many parents across the city are being forced to rethink how they feed their children.
“This could in turn lead to many children not getting a balanced meal,” she added.
She is now cooking in larger batches so ingredients that cost more can be put in the fridge or freezer.
“I will also be making sure I shop around so that I can get the best deals though I mainly use Aldi as it has cheaper alternatives,” she added.
Research from the New Economics Foundation has found that as many as half of all UK children will be living in families that cannot afford the hikes in prices this year.
The think tank predicts that essentials including clothing and food will be cut back on.
Hikes on energy bills, petrol prices, Universal Credit cuts and tax increases have all contributed to the cost of living crisis.
And inflation is forecast to surge as high as 8pc later this year.
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