Food poverty: 'I miss meals so my children can eat' - BBC Newsnight 

The UK, one of the global economic giants, have citizens missing meals due to absurdly high costs of living. This is unbelievable.😞

I remember my mother struggling and it led to me leaving school early to get a job and be able to help financially. This of course perpetuates poverty for the next generation.

My sister moved to UK years ago to pursuit a better life. She settled there, got married and started a family. My mom went visit for Easter celebration, in April and it was still cold. My mom is the type a person who wears a sweater in summertime. She asked my sister to turn up the heat. My sister said no, because she now has a kid and other priorities, and is basically on a strict budget and turning up the heat will be reflected later on, on her bills. I realized I made the right decision to not move there when my sister gave me the chance. I live in Romania, and I will choose Romania anytime, everytime over UK.

It's so important to raise awareness of this - and for children in particular. No one can learn, thrive and fulfil their full potential without good nutrition.

Can't learn much with a hungry belly. Thanks for the people featured here who help others.

it says something about the country where people in full time work have to do what that lady has to do it breaks your heart

Great to see the community kitchen. Does anyone else remember when all schools had a proper kitchen staffed by people who knew how to cook nutritious food from scratch? These are real skills that need to be taken seriously.

I lived in USA for 6 months and worked at a Christian resort back in 2011, and I remember the amount of food that was thrown away every day was shocking to me. Some people were super picky with food and just left a lot on their dish. The kitchen just discarded a lot of "imperfect" food as well. The ice cream in the counter was thrown away because the tub was already open and they couldn't sell it that same day. I think rich countries just forget when they were poor and lose empathy towards the planet and humankind.

massive respect for moms who miss meals to feed her children,,., i wish them redemption from this.

I looked at that poor women's kitchen and all of her high end very expensive kitchen appliances and vent hood, she must have been financially well off at once time. I feel sorry for families without food

We are spending untold billions of pounds/dollars fighting a proxy war in Ukraine (which leads to higher energy and food costs) while people at home go hungry and worry about having heat during the winter. Our priorities are incredibly skewed.

The food price in this country is a disgrace

All the signs that this modern civilization is indeed heading toward crumbling are so obvious.

Thankfully our politicians don't have to go through any of this 🙏🤪🤡

The amount of food waste at the big grocery stores is shocking, in the UK and North America. I think it is great that there are organizations that rescue that food to give to those in need. The food waste might be a slightly imperfect apple for instance, or perfectly good fresh bread that had a little travel damage. In supermarkets we are used to seeing huge piles of cartoon perfect food - the rest is often needlessly discarded, very often back at the source. Speak to the manager and see if they are doing something much better with that product. It is not that those in need should have to eat bruised or out of date items of course, but sometimes the level of waste of perfectly good produce and other things seems ludicrous when children go hungry and their parents skip meals - that mother interviewed even had a 5 day a week job. In the US I know that child poverty is a major issue - the US is so wealthy and that very core concern happens? I know that many don't like government, but when you and many others need help, someone should be doing something on a major scale. I know of restaurants that pack up food that they haven't sold every day to donate to food kitchens. Amazing - restaurant quality food already prepared for others to enjoy the next day, every day. Apparently the amount of food waste generated could feed all the hungry people around the world. Let's get some billionaires on this problem. And everyone else. Group effort. My neighbour has an abundant vegetable garden and hands extras - freshly picked!- over the fence to me while she still manages to feed her family well with what she grows. It is something as simple and great and kind as that. Every little bit helps. It is not charity - it is a necessity and just makes sense and more people should be upset or at least more aware that some children go to school hungry.

Her fridge and freezer is full. How long is it for? My fridge is 1/3 of what she has.

No job, high inflation, high gas price, high fuel cost, high homeless peoples, TV license fees increase, and high education fees etc. Useless government.

This is Heartbreaking. Bless her and other families struggling to feed themselves and their children. I studied Sociology for GCSE and we looked at poverty in the UK; I was shocked to discover that parents were fainting at work or at schools (when they drop off/pick up their children) because they've been starving themselves to that their children can eat. I know that schools are doing all they can to feed the children free meals, and bless them for doing that, but what about the parents too? They need to eat too or else they'll damage their health and that'll affect their ability to look after their children and work to provide for them. Parents should NOT have to starve themselves in order to make sure their children have three meals a day. Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

This is so sad 😢 god bless everyone who’s struggling with food

I have usually never had any struggles with meals, but this is just heartbreaking. Parents are missing meals to provide for their children, while UK inflation is hitting big these times now

What a shame ,the UK where the royalty holds so much wealth and own 5/8 of land in the world , and their people go hungry 😢

The food prices should always be moderate or low It's better to uprise on clothing ,beauty products , electronics ,cars etc

"If you live in a poor neighborhood, it has to be an area with poor schools. Poor schools mean that there are poor teachers. Poor teachers mean that you get a poor education. A poor education will only allow you to work on a poor paying job. And that poor paying job will only allow you to live again in a poor neighborhood. So it is a very vicious cycle"- Malcolm X.

I always wonder where are the fathers of these children who are living with mom but in poverty?

The women that was on this programme with the children had more food in her fridge and freezer than I have ever had in mine. I don't have children but you can get a good meal if you buy stuff that will last a couple of days.

The first woman had her cupboards and freezer bursting with food, some of it ready-made. When poverty strikes, you only buy grains, beans, fruits and veggies. And she isn't thin. In some countries this kind of poverty is called luxury. That said, I am not trying to play down the economic crisis in UK, just saying that the first example looked implausible to me.

Ridiculous. How about going to Aldi or Lidl lady? Shopping in Waitrose......

I am an american conservative. This video brought me to tears. No reason in the west anyone should go without food. Both our govts need to get their acts in gear. We have F35 jets, overpriced pieces of crap and our new B2 bombers are 2 billion a piece, but people and children are hungry and eating junk. God have mercy on our countries

Sadly, it's going to be a tough winter for many people ... 😞

When I move to England. I remember, I was starving and very little eat. I can’t eat school food and British food looks like horrible prison food and animal food.

They need to offer reductions to child care so that parents can work without having to pay nearly all the wages to childcare.

Make wholesome, basic, healthy home made meals. Soups, chicken meals from scratch, fruit crumbles etc.

But why is she shopping in Waitrose? That place is so expensive! Even their discount food isn’t worth it.

First world problems. Nice apartment, refrigerator full of food. Ask a Somali person about hunger and housing.

Food wastage is bad, some people don't have enough.

If working full time isn't enough then frankly it's time for Britain to pack it in and give up and being a Nation and let the Vikings come in and take over.

Not much better in America.. Never before Have I seen prices like this..not just food " absolutely everything

They suffer even more because they don't know how to cook.

This has been happening in Africa for years.

What world are we living in ?!

They have all the money for wars, but no money for the needy. very sad.

My twin sister lives in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 She is going through these difficulties too

And there is me eating one meal day so that I won’t gain weight.

Wake up ppl of UK rise up against ur leaders who are making u suffer.. More and more.. These leaders just think about Ukraine ukriane Ukraine

I hate all of this and hate how millions starve in a relatively RICH country! But how is obesity a major problem if everyone misses out meals?

One way to save money... DON'T SHOP AT WAITROSE🤦‍♀️

Use reusable dishes , cutlery in schools Use raw materials such as veggies , grains , meat , eggs for food rather than buying processed expensive stuffs .

3 meals a day is luxury 😱

This is absolutely unheard of. Honestly, what is next? Living out of a box? I have always looked up to the UK as a great wealthy nation. Living in the States I can only say this is a dark shadow to come soon over the pond.

My parents rarely took us anywhere on the weekends to do fun things. We played games at home or played outdoors with the neighborhood children. It never occurred to me or my siblings that our parents should be taking us to movies or theme parks. We were a family and it was what it was. Kids today watch too much fantasy or fake family tv shows… Oh, and we ate a lot of spaghetti, PB&J sandwiches, and dried beans and rice… An American.

So, buy much more mundane products - NON organic, beans and rice, and frozen veggies, no dessert, etc - been there and ate a very boring, assortment of foods. Cooked from scratch, relied on free veggies that were less than perfect. Wore old worn out shoes and clothes. Oh, meals my children can eat? As. Kid we had no choice - eat what is served or be hungry.

I went without a few times in my late teens to early twenties just to make sure my sisters were doing ok. My heart goes out to anyone struggling. I hope it gets better for you.

I remember Poland in 80s and 90s, we went through same shit. Unfortunately UK is going through that because of their decisions.

Regularly misses meals? Freezer is full. She goes into hunter mode when she goes into a supermarket? Who doesn't? Who doesn't like a deal? She's got a really nice kitchen - nicer than most young people paying £2000 rent and paying 40% tax subsidising the landlords, the pensioners and the complainers. Erin does look a bit more in need but the first one, come on - she's living in a nice place with what I can tell is a full freezer.

Well, in Bangladesh, even our poor people can have at least 3 meals [not expensive items, basic staple food] a day, not having home or fridge...

It's happening everywhere. We need to pull together, and help each other. Sharing households would help with heating, food, transportation to jobs and appointments, and babysitting duty. No one likes to share space, but if that's what it takes to survive, you do it.

My mum did the same thing when we were growing up. She did this so we can have meals, warmth, electricity, Christmases and birthdays.

I do understand that UK is going through a tough time, all the mother has in her pantry is packets of processed food. Buying fresh vegetables and cooking lentils and rice at home will go a long way, without having to go without food. Change of lifestyle will help. Things like smaller portions of fresh meat cooked in a larger amount of sauce with rice should help until things improve. We live in Canada and the situation is similar. Grocery bills have skyrocketed beyond even the means of middle income groups. Slightly lowering standard of living, cooking at home, think of buying intelligently is the need of the hour all over the world.

Well her cupboard certainly isn't empty, I noticed a jar of coconut oil that retails around £4 (in Oxford anyway) maybe she should use store brands. Her fridge/freezer seems well stocked as well.

Mad respect to the men and women helping out their community the best they can.

Sorry but this lady's cupboards and fridge freezer is packed out with food don't tell me she misses meals coz she hungry she chooses not to eat poor ppl with no money to eat that have to beg at food banks are really the ones in need

I raised 4 children single handed, and while they were little I always had to ration food because my ex only paid £5.25 per week maintenance, while he lived the life of luxury. I was made to feel invisible and hopeless. Life is tough here in the UK, but the most important thing is to have a "can do" attitude. 💐💐💐 We got through it, and we were all fine. Now they're adults they each live according to their budget, and they're careful to maintain healthy eating habits. Since Covid things have been difficult for me, and of course for so many, but we CAN DO THIS - we British are tough people, and we will get through it! Times are not always going to be hard. It's an opportunity to be resourceful, perhaps producing home grown veggies, and getting back in to good home cooking. Wishing everyone a happier future, one filled with hope! 💛🌱🥰

I’m not at all trolling, but she doesn’t look like she’s missing meals tbh. House also looks fancy, and fridge and cupboards are full. This is an issue but you could have showed an actual poor family. My house actually looks like poverty 😂

Some people have noticed that the first lady has a nice kitchen so assume she doesn't have a problem. Since when did having a decent kitchen mean you don't have money issues? This could have been done way in the past, before she had the current problem!

Child poverty is a very important social problem. Adults have a duty to provide adequate food for growing children. It is normal for children to be naughty, eat well, and play well.

Where are the father/ fathers from those 2 kids? Why she is the only one responsible to feed them?

@0:40 Pretty plush kitchen. Compared to that, mine’s a cupboard!

Here in Finland stores put 30%off red stickers on items close to sell by date. One chain sells those items at 2X discount after 6pm. Have noticed lately that more and more people are going to the store around that time and buy mostly discounted stuff. Too bad that it's usually stuff that you should not eat anyway. Preprepared garbage. Fish and meat is getting too expensive even for me and I work full time.

I'm 59 and I can honestly say I've never missed a meal in my life unless I screwed up somehow by doing something like not getting enough groceries when I could have or being too lazy to cook something and choosing to go to bed. But I believe that could change really soon...

food poverty hides the secondary detrimental effect which is nutritional food deficiency, this has a knock on effect on the long term health of the poorer sections of society.

How does it always seem to be the people that are treated the worst in society that end up being the kindest and most giving? I know that's rhetorical but... No one should be going hungry and no one should be demonized for not being able to afford these atrocious rises in the cost of living.

Reminder: Never waste food. ☺ Always prioritize your needs over your wants.☺ And don't take too much food right to your plate. Because it may lead to leftovers which can lead to food wastage. ☺

I'm not from the UK but I know what it's like, I hurt for these kids and their families. It's sad and I feel so helpless seeing what they're struggling with.💔💔

Where are some of these children's fathers ????. Now in my 50s ..as a child I rarely seen my mother eat. I was fortunate to have had free school meals and a sandwich in the evening when I got home from school. Nutrition was not thought of at all it was a matter of being fed. Add poor housing single parent and debt its was unfortunately a nightmare for a child. My father was not present physically or financially. The social stigma of this in the 60s and 70s was also very isolating. Thankfully I did progress and am happy with a good husband who works so hard . Our children are well fed, educated and taken care of. It angers me that these men do not take responsibility for their children. Report on this please...this is by far one of the main reasons of child poverty.

She has a whole freezer and cabinets full of food

Children feels the stress of their parents x 10...watching their parents struggle and feeling hopeless ...and then the impact of poverty itself..

What I noticed in the Western countries is that families buy so much expensive processed food from big supermarkets. Families needs to be re-taught how to make food from scratch. It takes 30 minutes to make nutritious and cheap meals from scratch. The poor in my country is worst off than these families who are skipping a meal a day and my poor country men make meals from scratch. These families needs to be imparted life skills. I am also from a higher income group yet I don't buy all these luxurious "gluten free" meals and expensive ready to eat meals. I buy whole grains, lenthils, pulses, flour, oil and vegetables. I always make my food from scratch and time 1 hour a meal each day for cooking, eating and cleaning up.

My heart goes out to these families, but it's truly sad the way it affects children. 15 Year old Erin is such a trouper and it's so sad that she has to grow up under such circumstances.

I think what we are seeing in the UK is a consequence of food production being concentrated in the hands of a few organisations and the death of subsistence small scale food production.

To make ends meet I would use to shop at the 99 cent store. I couldn’t even afford medicine for myself one time a few years back. I’d pay rent, car payment, & insurance and other bills. I bought cough drops, DayQuil and night quill. All for like $7. I had $10 left in my bank account. Tell payday. The 99 cent store has saved me so many times.

I did that regularly in the 80's. I bought adult clothes from a charity shop to strip and make my kids clothes and sold my furniture to find enough money for utility bills to keep them warm as well. Certainly prepared us for today!

Three meals a day a luxury in a first world country yet for us here in our village in my third world country we never miss meals. We have fruits in plenty, vegetables. We might not have all the trinkets of technology but we are healthy, we can wake up in the morning and milk the cows, harvest sweet potatoes from the garden, eat as may tangerines as I want by just sitting under the tangerine tree.

Go to the supermarket near 5 if cooked chickens are your thing. I've got cooked chickens reduced to 2 quid to clear cause they can't keep them

seeing this kid stress out about food breaks my heart i wish i could find a way to donate to her family

It’s sad to be honest back then everyone did not value the things they had and were very ungrateful and loads of people wasted food and water in UK by throwing food away Now everything is gone expensive I guess we all will learn the harder way and start being more appreciative to the small things X

Meanwhile, billions is sent to Ukraine.

This has always been so common for many of us, regardless if you're middle or working class. I'm 34 and I have been implenting this since I can remember because my siblings still don't understand out financial situation. Sometimes selfishness in the family makes it worse...

I have had to do this for years so I am used to it, I feel sorry for those pampered first world people people who have never suffered

This is horrific...how is this possible though? As the woman said people will hear it and will be in shock how is it happening in the UK- I am one of these people. How can someone on an "ok pay" have to skip meals?

I noticed when shopping yesterday that meat food prices had increased again. 35p for a banana at tesco So 3 costs £1.05 Got a big bunch about 9 for £1.10 at the farm stall in the market. There was a notice posted on Facebook about government cutting free meals for children. Especially at the present cost of living crisis. My son a teacher told me that mid morning break kids are offered snacks. Some kids being hungry buy the snacks because they are hungry but then have no money for a school dinner. Jamie my son has been helping a few kids as he knows there backgrounds and feels it's wrong to stand by and let kids not be able to have food. Free milk was cut out at junior primary years ago... Remember Maggie thatcher milk snatcher? I suspect so many families qualifying for free meals has increased the cost. We need the local councils to support free school meals. and give them the help they give to incoming migrants I posted a comment on Facebook in response to comments about children going hungry compared to MPs meals. Very Big response. I knew in past the MPs meals were subsidised and apparently still are. Someone posted the luxurious menu from the restaurant in houses of Parliament. Other comments about the expenses they can claim. So possibly they can claim food and drink expenses too? I read cabinet making decisions without consulting MPs. There has been a suggestion put forward that anyone over 75 should not have the right to vote. and new proposals that Pensioners should pay national insurance. Is this directed at people who paid into private pension schemes. ? and therefore have a living income. Our UK state pension is one of the lowest in Europe. Gordon Brown when he became Prime Minister said quote " there are now too many folk in Britain for all to expect an old age pension the cake can only be cut so many ways, and the old age pension will gradually be phased out"

When I was young pizza for dinner was a luxury. She's complaining she has no food but her fridge and cupboards are full.

The UK should spend more on sending naval vessels on trips to the South China Sea, just to do it. Doing that is more important than feeding British people.

I grew up to poverty due to unfortunate life event as I grow up. I grew where my mom bought clearance sale food. I never felt ashamed of it. People nowadays constantly look down on people buying clearance food. Now, due to food security issues and economy many people choose to buy clearance food. Its better than letting those food to waste. Even in my country, many Non profit choose food almost expired to feed the poor. Better than wasted. The amount of waste in my country has reduced after this pandemic. I still in poverty side but I manage to chip my money for saving by buying clearance food😊 better than wasted

We’ve got money for weapons and useless stuff but not food and basic human needs

Maybe the school could help by setting aside a plot of land to plant vegetables and it could be used to prepare food for the children....they do that in Japan and they used to cook the vegetables during lunch at school

People just need to move in together to split costs and responsibilities... And families need to pass wealth down to next generation rather than burn them in senior homes.

Not trying to shame food poverty, but saying "Regularly misses meals" while her ENTIRE freezer & cupboards are full (perhaps on that day) is laughing in the face of REAL food poverty.

im not disputing the struggle, but her freezer was fully stocked as were the cupboards. why would she be going without meals ? im asking a genuine question.

There are extremely cheap supermarkets in England like Lidl and Aldi with many very cheap foods like oats, noodles, bananas, bread and many more. It is possible to eat plenty with a very small budget if you shop right

Remember when UK starved Ireland? This is the boomerang effect.