Almost one in three primary school children in the UK believe that cheese grows on plants, while almost one in five think that fish fingers are made of chicken, a new survey has shown.

Over 27,000 primary and secondary school children throughout the UK, including almost 1,500 students in Northern Ireland, were surveyed by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF).

It revealed that one in 10 secondary school pupils think that tomatoes grow under the ground.

The research found that almost eight in 10 primary school students and nine in 10 secondary school students are aware that people should eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day. However most reported eating four or less portions per day.

Meanwhile two in five secondary school students were not aware that frozen fruit and vegetables counted towards their five-a-day.

The survey also indicated that many children are not eating breakfast every day, with secondary school students much more likely to skip this meal than primary school students.