Burgers, chicken nuggets or dippers, and pasta were other popular picks, while the place where the UK’s parents ate out with children most often in 2016 was McDonalds (43%), followed by KFC (18%) and Pizza Hut (16%).
More than one third (38%) of parents reported eating out with their children at least once a week.
The charity’s CEO Linda Cregan, said: “We’ve got a double-edged sword here, in that pasta and pizza can be brilliant vehicles for encouraging children to eat vegetables, and can be particularly good for getting children cooking from scratch.
“However, not all dishes are created equal: ready-made pasta sauces, frozen or takeaway pizza and ready meals can often be high in fat, sugar and salt so while children are enjoying pasta and pizza, we want to make sure they’re the healthiest possible versions.
“Parents tell us that giving children more chances to learn to cook is what would help them the most in getting kids eating more healthily. Government policy must listen to that: if we can inspire children with amazing pasta and pizza recipes they can make from scratch, give schools and communities the support they need to get every child cooking, we can help kids fall in love with healthier versions of the dishes they enjoy.
“But we also need the food industry to be the leader it can be. We’ve seen some exciting and innovative commitments from big food names recently, announcing plans to cut sugar in products. Where the market leaders go, others will follow – so we need to see even more brands becoming trailblazers for a brave new world in which we put children’s health first.”
The research also found that the vegetables children are most likely to eat are fresh carrots, cucumber, frozen peas and mixed veg. Bananas and apples are the fruits children are most likely to eat, according to the research.