London, Nov 30 - The menus of popular family restaurant chains like Nando's and Pizza Hut are still full of junk food, despite schools' attempts to promote healthy eating among children, according to a survey on Thursday.
"With lurid names like Candymania, Malteser Munch Madness, Mini Chocolate Challenge and Triple Treats dominating the menus, children's health comes second," says the study by the Soil Association.
Not one of the 10 chains surveyed by Britain's leading organic food body came close to meeting new school meal standards set by the government.
Even the average children's meal at top scorer TGI Fridays contained more than double the school meal maximum saturated fat content, the survey said.
TGI Fridays scored 16 points out of 30.
Bottom on the list came Cafe Rouge with eight out of 30 and a complete lack of fruit and vegetables on its children's menu.
"We are not calling for a ban on junk food, but parents have a right to be provided with a choice of healthier meal options and restaurants must take responsibility for that," said Soil Association Policy Director Peter Melchett.
Most of the menus were heavy on chips, ice-cream and fizzy drinks but Hungry Horse's scored highest on sugar and salt.
Its "Candymania" pudding contained four chocolate brownies, chocolate sauce, six scoops of ice-cream, four strawberries, one bag of chocolate Minstrels, a handful each of Maltesers and Milky Way Magic Stars, a Wagon Wheel and a Milky Way Crispy Roll, topped off with squirty cream.
The Soil Association said it was also alarmed to find barely any home-made meals and no locally sourced food.
"With the startling rise of obesity in children and the eating out industry now accounting for 31 percent of total food and drink expenditure, families desperately need these restaurants to be prioritising healthier meals," it said.
The survey results:
TGI Fridays, 16 points out of 30
Harvester, 15
Beefeater, 15
Pizza Hut, 14
Brewers Fayre, 13
Garfunkels, 12
Hungry Horse, 12
Little Chef, 11
Nando's, 10
Cafe Rouge, 8