British families could save hundreds of pounds a year by reducing the effects of wasteful children, according to new research.

Almost half of all six- to eight-year-old children (45 per cent) have no worries about wasting food from their dinner plates and 41 per cent of parents admit to throwing away at least a fifth of their children’s food in just one week, which equates to a minimum of £131 of thrown away food per child per year.

The research, conducted by Morrisons, suggests a family with two children could save enough money in a year to cover their weekly food bill for three weeks.

The study surveyed over 1,000 six- to eight-year-old children about food waste. Almost half (46 per cent) of all children who took part said leftover food simply ends up in the bin, with only 15 per cent claiming that leftovers get made into something else.

One in three children (35 per cent) think that saving leftovers for another meal is actually unhealthy.

Sally Moore, Morrisons nutritionist, said: “We are really surprised at just how many children don’t worry about wasting food and even more concerning is that some think leftovers are bad for them, which is costing families a lot of money every year.

“We appreciate how hard it is for parents to encourage their kids to eat all their dinner but in the current climate it’s a really easy way to keep costs down.

“We have launched ‘cooking with kids’ Bubble and Squeak recipe cards into all fresh food Market Street areas of our stores. We hope that this essential recipe will engage and encourage families to bring leftover food to life in a fun and exciting way,” she said.

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