Asda has announced it will add “more nutrionally balanced” food to its Kids Eat for £1’ café meal, following criticism from health campaigners that supermarkets have not been doing enough to help families eat healthily during the cost of living crisis.
The supermarket today announced its popular deal, which has served 1.3 million meals to children since it launched last June, was being revamped to include a list of vegan and healthy eating options.
The deal will also be extended to include the Easter holiday period.
Among the new menu choices are a vegan hidden veg pasta meal and jacket potatoes with salad, though it is still selling other choices such as pancakes with maple syrup and chicken nuggets as part of the deal. The existing hot meals on the menu will also have the option of swapping out chips with a salad or peas.
Asda also said it would now offer a free piece of fruit with every kids’ meal in the deal. The refreshed menu now includes new treats such as a jelly pot with whole fruit pieces or a jelly squeeze pouch as an alternative to a packet of crisps.
The extension of its café initiatives comes as Asda’s Income Tracker shows UK households were £91 a month worse off compared with January 2022, with the average family spending power at just £215 per week.
Last week the Food Foundation called on supermarkets to do more to help millions of children facing food poverty caused by the cost of living crisis.
A poll of more than 10,000 parents, released by the Food Foundation and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, called for a series of measures including discounted fruit & veg ranges, promotions on bread and milk, and reduced prices for the healthiest ranges of products.
“We know when families are preparing for the school holidays it can often mean an additional strain on household budgets,” said Asda chief commercial officer Kris Comerford.
“Our kids £1 café meal deals continue to provide a lifeline to families as we’ve served over 1,300,000 million meals since the launch. We hope by offering a new refreshed, great-tasting and affordable and healthier balanced £1 kids’ menu and the addition of a free piece of fruit, it will help support many more families in the coming weeks.”
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