Hit or miss? As Pret unveils its Little Stars menu for children (with a yoghurt containing as much sugar as a pack of HARIBO), nutritionists give their verdict…

The chain is known for its healthy sandwiches, wraps and soups.

But Pret’s new children’s menu, launched yesterday, has sparked controversy among nutritionists.

Sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and snack pots are offered, made for children aged four to ten.

Dr. However, Julie Lanigan, a specialist pediatric dietitian, said they should be made with more salad and less salt and sugar, as well as served in smaller portions.

While the menu could help parents have a ‘healthy lunch for a child on the go’, the portion size could lead to ‘overeating and obesity’.

Campaigners and charities warned that the sandwiches make up 50 per cent of a child’s daily salt limit, contain a minimal amount of vegetables and ‘could pose a potential health risk if consumed regularly’.

Dr. Lanigan, who is also a research dietitian at University College London, told MailOnline that the offer ‘may be suitable for children as part of a healthy, balanced diet’.

However, she said it “could be improved” by putting more salad on the sandwiches and using less salt filling.

In addition, plain yogurt could be offered in addition to a piece of fresh fruit, instead of the mango puree, to reduce the sugar content and increase fiber, Dr. Lanigan said.

“A salad could be offered with the pizza sandwich, which could be offered in a smaller portion,” she suggested.

The nutritional information associated with the foods is ‘based on adults, which is not appropriate for children,” Dr. Lanigan noted.

Pret’s website states that ‘adults need approximately 2,000 calories per day’. However, the average seven-year-old girl only needs 1,500.

Dr. Lanigan said: ‘Pret could help parents by providing portion size guidelines that are applicable to children of different ages.

‘Large portion sizes can lead to overeating and obesity.

‘This is an important consideration as a significant proportion of children in Britain are overweight.’

The latest figures show that around a third of ten-year-olds in England are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for years, with easy access to fast food, increased screen time and sedentary lifestyles behind the rising rates.

She added: ‘It is important to keep in mind that these are occasional meals for children and are not eaten every day. The menu could help parents create a healthy lunch for their child while they are on the road.”

Sonia Pombo, a registered nutritionist and campaign manager at Action on Salt, told MailOnline: ‘It is disappointing to see that Pret, an international sandwich shop chain, has not been more responsible in designing this children’s menu.

‘What could have been an opportunity to offer healthy options to the nation’s children instead offers a limited range of sandwiches, all equaling 50 percent or more of a child’s maximum daily limit of salt, minimum vegetables and a pizza’.

“Our children certainly deserve better.”

June O’Sullivan OBE and CEO of the London Early Years Foundation, told MailOnline: ‘Given the amount of action that has been taken to tackle issues surrounding children’s nutritional health, it is frustrating to see that one of the biggest sandwich shop chains in Britain is serving its new menu, specifically aimed at children aged four to ten, with foods high in salt and sugar, which pose a potential health risk if consumed regularly.

‘With almost one in four London primary school children obese, the food industry has a moral obligation to put the health of our future generation first.’

The Mango and banana yoghurt pot, part of Pret’s children’s menu, came under fire today because it contained a whopping 7.9 grams of sugar per portion.

For comparison: a mini bag of Haribo Starmix contains 7.5 grams.

The NHS recommends that children aged four to six should eat no more than 19 grams of free sugars per day, while seven to 10-year-olds should limit intake to 24 grams.

This only applies to sugar added to foods, such as flavored yoghurts, cereals and fizzy drinks, or sugar that occurs naturally in fruit juices, smoothies and honey.

Health chiefs don’t set limits on the sugars in fruit, vegetables and milk.

The Pret treat is made with natural yoghurt, mango and banana puree, coconut milk, mango and lemon juice, along with turmeric.

Per 100 g it contains 100 calories, 8 g sugar, 0.3 g fiber and 6 g protein.

The chain said only 1 gram of the sugar content came from fruit puree, while the rest came from lactose – a sugar naturally found in dairy products.

Meanwhile, Haribo is made with sugars, fruit juice from concentrate and flavorings.

Per 100 g Starmix contains 342 calories, 47 g sugar and 6.6 g protein.

However, it is served in 16 gram packs, while Pret’s yogurt comes in a nearly 100 gram jar.

The Pret children’s menu also includes cheese, ham and chicken and cucumber sandwiches on malted bread, a pizza toastie and a snack pot with hummus and cucumber.

However, the ham sandwich and the pizza sandwich contain more than half of the maximum recommended daily salt intake for a child aged four to six years (1.64 g and 1.57 g respectively).

It is also about a third of the 5 gram limit recommended for seven to ten year olds.

Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist based in London and author of Unprocess Your Life, warned that the Pret children’s yoghurt is more of a ‘sweet treat’ than a healthy snack.

He told The Telegraph: ‘Yogurt is healthy, but that fruit puree underneath is really sugary. So you might be better off with a simpler yogurt and some fresh fruit. A better option might be the sandwich and some fruit.

‘It’s better to pick some fruit or maybe buy yoghurt that has less sugar and look at the back of the packet.’

Hannah Hope, a nutritionist from St Albans, told the newspaper: ‘Perhaps Pret should have opted for a plain yoghurt with berries as it had less sugar for children.’

A spokesperson for Pret said: ‘Comparing the portion sizes of a 100g yoghurt pot and a 16g bag of sweets is incredibly misleading.

‘Like-for-like, there is six times more sugar per gram in Haribo sweets compared to our Kids’ Mango & Banana Yogurt Pot.

‘Our children’s yoghurt pot consists of simple ingredients, containing naturally occurring sugars, and gives children much more nutritional value than a pack of sweets.

‘We always provide all relevant nutritional information, so that customers can make the right choice for themselves or their children.’

What’s on the Pret Little Stars menu for kids?

Children’s cheese triangles

Calories: 364

Fat: 12.4 g

Saturates: 7.4 g

Carbohydrates: 40.9g

Sugar: 3.3 g

Fiber: 5g

Egg white: 19.8g

Salty: 1.42g

Kinderham triangles

Calories: 279

Fat: 7g

Saturates: 3.8g

Carbohydrates: 37.7 g

Sugar: 2.9g

Fiber: 5g

Egg white: 13.8 g

Salty: 1.64g

Chicken and cucumber triangles for children

Calories: 372

Fat: 14.8g

Saturates: 1.5 g

Carbohydrates: 38.7 g

Sugar: 3.4g

Fiber: 5g

Egg white: 18.6 g

Salty: 1.53g

Pizza toast for children

Calories: 396

Fat: 15.3 g

Saturates: 6.5 g

Carbohydrates: 42.7g

Sugar: 4.8g

Fiber: 5.5 g

Egg white: 19.3g

Salty: 1.57g

Children’s yoghurt pot with mango and banana

Calories: 99

Fat: 4.2 g

Saturates: 2.6 g

Carbohydrates: 9.1 g

Sugar: 7.9g

Fiber: 0.3g

Egg white: 6

Salty: 0.17g

Cucumber bowl for children

Calories: 116

Fat: 8.6 g

Saturates: 1g

Carbohydrates: 5.1 g

Sugar: 1g

Fiber: 2.9g

Egg white: 2.9g

Salty: 0.31 g