UK restaurants serve 'healthy' meals with calories rivaling fast food, report finds

A recent analysis reveals that some UK chain restaurants offer "healthy" dishes with calorie counts comparable to multiple Big Macs. For example, Wagamama's Vegatsu contains 1,164 calories, while Ask Italian's Caesar di Grande salad has 1,100 calories. The report highlights that many popular restaurants serve microwave meals and ultra-processed foods. The Soil Association's research found that children's menus often lack fresh ingredients and may mislead parents about nutritional value. Only a few chains, like Wahaca and Carluccio's, were noted for using minimally processed ingredients. The study also found that a significant portion of protein options in restaurants are ultra-processed, raising concerns about the overall healthiness of these meals.