The Out to Lunch report, which ranks children’s food and drink at the UK’s top visitor attractions, found that many lacked healthy options and transparency about food sourcing and were overloaded with sugar.
Rob Percival, Soil Association Policy Officer, said: “Visitor attractions are making life hard for parents who want to enjoy a healthy and happy day out. Lunchboxes loaded with sugar and unimaginative ultra-processed foods are the norm.
“So long as junk-filled lunchboxes continue to dominate family outings, parents will have a hard time convincing their children that healthy food can be a treat too.”
The Eden Project and Chester Zoo topped the league table with both offering healthier meal choices. Chester Zoo served locally sourced milk and farm assured meat, whilst all meals at the Eden Project were freshly prepared and included locally sourced meat and vegetables.
The survey also found that a lunchbox at London Zoo included up to 36g of sugar - a staggering 189% of a child’s daily sugar allowance. Three quarters of lunchboxes surveyed contained no veg or salad options, whilst half included muffins, cakes and sweet treats, but no fresh fruit.
Secret diner parents also reported that while sugary drinks were readily available, few attractions were prominently providing free fresh drinking water for children.
When secret diner parents at 900-acre Alton Towers asked for a glass of tap water, they were refused and told to buy a bottle from the restaurant. Secret diners at Stonehenge commented that free drinking water was available for dogs but not families. At no attractions were healthy drinks the normal option in vending machines.
The Out to Lunch campaign is calling on attractions to take five simple steps to improve the food and experience they offer to children and families:
- Ensure that all children’s lunchboxes and main meals include a portion of veg or salad
- Ditch unimaginative ultra-processed foods and focus more on fresh ingredients
- Protect parents from an over-abundance of sweet treats, which make it harder to enjoy a healthy and happy day out
- Make free fresh drinking water available to families throughout their visit
- Support British farmers by buying the best of British produce, including organic
See the full league table below:
