The poll of 2,000 parents by Kellogg’s found that one in three mothers reported their children coming home feeling sick from the amount of junk food they consumed at a friend’s house.
Twenty-two per cent of parents said their child had been fed fast food for dinner, and 15 per cent claimed that their child had been given a microwaveable meal.
Nearly a third had picked up their child to discover they had been given a takeaway for dinner.
The research also revealed that as many as one in five parents have stopped their children from seeing certain friends outside of nursery or school to avoid receiving invites to their house for tea.
In contrast, two-thirds of the mothers and fathers surveyed said they always made sure they fed their children’s friends healthy snacks and dinners.
Another two-thirds of parents said their children knew what food was healthy and unhealthy and normally make good choices when it comes to what they eat when they are at home.
Parents also said they dreaded their children visiting their grandparents because they know they will be spoilt and given more sweets than they would be allowed at home.
A spokesperson for Kellogg’s said, ‘What our study does show is that the majority of parents said they make sure their children have a good breakfast before they leave the house because they are worried about what they will eat for the rest of the day.
‘One of the big things parents say to us they worry about is the portions their children are given.’
