JD Wetherspoons has beaten out stiff competition to be named one of the UK's healthiest restaurants for children.
According to research from The Soil Association, Wetherspoons beats out almost all of its competitors when it comes to kids' meals, coming second only to Jamie's Italian.
The Out to Lunch study, conducted in collaboration with celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, took into account nutritional information from popular 25 chains across the country to form a league table, ranking them in order of best to worst, and placing Wetherspoons very close to the top. Another Italian offering, Strada, came in third, followed by Mexican outlet Wahaca, and family favourite Beefeater.
The criteria included whether or not the restaurant offered free refills of sugary fizzy drinks, the availability of vegetables with meals and calorie content in both mains and desserts, to give each one a score from of 0 to 90.
Image: Wetherspoons
Pub chain Harvester came under fire for a pudding option - the Chocolate Cookie Pizza - which contained a whopping 721 calories, or almost 50 per cent of a seven-year-old's daily requirement. The brand have since promised to reformulate the dish.
Jameson Robinson, Wetherspoons Head of Food, commented: 'We are serving more and more children's meals each year. We are committed to serving healthy and tasty meals, which are enjoyed by the children and welcomed by adults too.'
UK children's menus scored out of 90
1. Jamie's Italian: 75 2. Wetherspoons: 65 3. Strada: 63 4. Wahaca: 58 5. Beefeater: 53 6. Wagamama: 50 7. Harvester: 48 8. Brewers Fayre: 48 9. Sizzling Pub and Grill: 46 10. Cafe Rouge: 45 11. Carluccio's: 45 12. Ask Italian: 44 13. Zizzi: 42 14. McDonald's: 41 15. Pizza Express: 41 16. Las Iguanas: 40 17. Pizza Hut: 39 18. Hungry Horse: 38 19. Frankie and Benny's: 37 20. Giraffe: 35 21. Nando's: 35 22. KFC: 32 23. TGI Friday's: 30 24. Prezzo: 28 25. Burger King: 22
Are you surprised by the findings? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
-
Compromising may be killing your relationship - here are 5 ways to reach healthy compromises, according to relationship expertCompromising isn't always the best way to keep the peace in a relationship
-
Best interactive pets for kids: 15 gift ideas for children of all agesFrom puppies to axolotls, take a look at our selection of the best interactive pets you can buy that are sure to be a hit with little animal lovers
