Kids should know more about their food, suggests survey

The research, which was carried out by home appliance brand Belling, surveyed 1,000 UK adults and 2,754 under 16 year olds to uncover an up-to-date snapshot of the nation's meal-time habits. Figures have found that the nations under 35's are turning their backs on traditional English dishes such as stew, steak and kidney pie, bubble and squeak and faggots at mealtimes, and instead are opting for Italian and Chinese meals. And, when it comes to under 16's, traditional English home-cooked meals are rarely on the menu, according to the findings. Highlights of the survey include: A third have never eaten toad-in-the-hole (33%), stew (35%) or rice pudding (35%), two thirds (76%) have never eaten liver, and a fifth of UK kids don't know the main ingredient in shepherd's pie and toad-in-the-hole. This British Food Fortnight (19th September to 2nd October), Belling is calling out to the nation to 'Bring Back Grannies Recipes' – the traditional family dishes that are falling out of favour with younger generations. Belling is asking the UK public to donate their favourite traditional British recipe for possible inclusion in a new 'Bring Back Grannies' Recipes' online book. People can take part by writing in with their favourite family recipe and supply a picture of themselves with the finished dish. Celebrity chef Brian Turner, said: "There is no doubt that our tastes are changing and new influences have made a huge impact on the food that children are eating today. Whilst exploring new dishes and flavours is a fantastic way to get children interested in food, there are many delicious traditional English recipes that have played a huge role in our country's history and it would be a huge shame if these ever died out. "It is a real shame to see our traditional recipes, such as shepherd's pie and toad-in-the-hole, losing out in the popularity stakes and I really hope that this campaign will go a long way in bringing some old time favourites back on to the menu in homes across the country."