UK restaurant chains caught serving kids ready-made meals instead of fresh food

New study shows popular eating spots warm up pre-made food for children instead of cooking fresh meals. Only two chains out of many actually prepare kids food from scratch‚ while others use ready-to-heat items

November 28 2024 , 11:02 AM  •  753 views

UK restaurant chains caught serving kids ready-made meals instead of fresh food

A new food-quality study shows that many well-known uk restaurant chains dont prepare fresh meals for kids but just re-heat ready-made dishes. The study by Soil Association (a food and farming group) checked how restaurants make their childrens meals

Parents want and deserve better – theyʼve told us fresh food and healthy delicious choices are their number one priority when eating out with their kids

Oona Buttafoco‚ Soil Association senior policy officer

The research found that only Wahaca and Carluccioʼs cook meals from basic ingredients; while places like Bella Italia Prezzo and TGI Fridays just warm-up pre-made sauces

Hereʼs what the study found about different chains:
* JD Wetherspoon gives two veggie portions with each kids meal
* Franco Manca ranked last for not having enough vegetables
* Only Wagamama Nandos and Leon dont serve sugary drinks
* KFC gets meat from far places like Thailand

I am immensely proud that Wahaca has topped the Soil Associationʼs childrenʼs food awards

Thomasina Miers‚ Wahaca co-founder

The study used secret diners to check restaurants (a smart way to get real info) and found that 40% of protein choices were ultra-processed. Most places get their fruits and veggies from other countries – only Nandos uses all-british meat for kids meals

A mom from Stevenage Becca Watts shared her thoughts: its different now than when she was young because everything used to be made from scratch. She thinks parents could buy the same pre-made food cheaper at shops