Jamie Oliver has said he is "absolutely chuffed" after his restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian, has been named the healthiest choice for families in the UK. The celebrity chef topped the list of family restaurants compiled by the Soil Association's Out to Lunch campaign.
The Soil Association teamed up with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to launch a league table ranking 25 of the most popular chains with families, with the results measured on the nutritional value of the children's meals available on the menu.
Jamie's Italian topped the Soil Association's Out to Lunch campaign
Jamie's Italian was a clear winner, scoring 75 points out of a possible 90, thanks to the chef's carefully created children's menu that features dishes such as organic mini spaghetti and meatballs, and organic chicken fillet lollipops with baked sweet potato fries. "This is the third time we've topped the league table with our children's menu at Jamie's Italian – and I’m absolutely chuffed," Jamie said. "The Out to Lunch award means a lot to us, because we put so much effort into making our kids' food balanced and delicious. All our meals for children contain at least two of their five-a-day, and nothing artificial. Plus we have unlimited fruity water as an alternative to sugary drinks."
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Other popular chains to score high were Wetherspoons, Strada, Wahaca and Beefeater, which were all praised for the quality of children's meals on offer. But how healthy is your favourite family restaurant? The full ranking of most popular chains is below:
- Jamie's Italian - 75
- Wetherspoons - 65
- Strada - 63
- Wahaca - 58
- Beefeater - 53
- Wagamama - 50
- Harvester - 48
- Brewer's Fayre - 48
- Sizzling Pub & Grill - 46
- Café Rouge - 45
- Carluccio's - 45
- Ask Italian - 44
- Zizzi - 42
- McDonald's - 41
- Pizza Express - 41
- Las Iguanas - 40
- Pizza Hut - 39
- Hungry Horse - 38
- Frankie & Benny's - 37
- Giraffe - 35
- Nando's - 35
- KFC - 32
- TGI Fridays - 30
- Prezzo - 28
- Burger King - 22
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