Poorer families are more likely to eat chicken nuggets and chips for dinner , while wealthier households consume more salad and rice , new research has revealed . The latest figures from Roy Morgan show that socioeconomic status and family income have a significant impact on foods consumed . At the top end of the scale , children eat more salad and rice , but as income decreases more chips , wedges , chicken nuggets and noodles are consumed . New research shows children from lower income families are more frequently consuming chips than they are salads . In the wealthiest households , 62 per cent of kids aged 6-13 will eat rice every week , while 55 per cent will also have salad at some stage . Less than half will eat hot chips , fries , or wedges , while just over a third will consume noodles . Around a quarter of these children will eat chicken nuggets during an average week . However at the other end of the spectrum childrens ' eating habits change quite dramatically . With each successive drop in socioeconomic status , children in the household are less likely to eat rice or salad , and more likely to eat noodles or chicken nuggets . Kids from wealthier families will see more salad on the table , with 55 per cent consuming the greens in an average week . At the lower end of the scale 60 per cent of children will consume chips , wedges or fries , but only 44 per cent will eat a salad during an average week . Noodles are on the menu for 55 per cent of these kids , chicken nuggets are eaten by 40 per cent , and just half of these children will see rice on their table . 'While the food that parents buy and give to their children is heavily influenced by the affordability of groceries , there may be many other issues at play such as the number of children ( and parents ) in the household , working hours , accessibility of fresh produce in the local area , as well as underlying attitudes and tastes , ' Michele Levine , CEO , Roy Morgan Research said . The presence of rice at mealtimes has increased , and 62 per cent of kids at the higher end of the spectrum have it each week . 'For example , price alone does not fully explain the inverse changes in popularity for rice and noodles among children across socio-economic quintiles . ' The research also revealed that more parents are trying to make a conscious choice about purchasing additive-free food , which is up to 50 per cent from 45 last year . However figures in this section also show that as socioeconomic status declines , so does the amount of parents making the decision to buy additive-free foods . Noodles and hot chips are eaten more frequently than salads in lower socioeconomic households . Despite this , increasing numbers of parents are paying closer attention to what they put on the table for their children . 'More than five million Australians are parents with children under 16 in the home . Our research into health attitudes shows that over the last five years an increasing proportion of parents are mindful of their own calorie , fat , dairy , and red meat intake , but are slightly less likely to be trying to limit how much sugar their kids eat , ' Michele Levine said . 'Our Single Source survey can connect parents ' demographics and household status with their health attitudes , grocery shopping behaviours , exercise habits and food consumption rates to deliver a 360-degree view of the changing lifestyles of Australian families . ' Noodles are on the menu each week more often for children whose parents earn a lower income , over wealthier families .
New research shows children from lower income families are more frequently consuming chips than they are salads . Families with a higher income are more likely to eat salads and rice . Latest figures from Roy Morgan also show more parents are trying to buy additive-free foods .