How UK’s top visitor attractions are selling children’s lunchboxes ‘loaded’ with sugar and no fruit or vegetables
Most of children's lunch boxes sold at popular attractions don't include any vegetable or salad option
THE UK's top visitor attractions are selling pre-prepared children's lunchboxes loaded with sugar and processed food as the norm, a charity has claimed.
The Soil Association's annual Out to Lunch survey found 75 per cent of children's lunchboxes sold at popular attractions did not include any vegetable or salad option - and 50 per cent offered boxes that included muffins, cakes and sweet treats but no fresh fruit.
Parents acting as secret diners also reported that few attractions actively provided free fresh drinking water for children, but made sugary drinks readily available - while a lunchbox at London Zoo was found to include 36g of sugar - 189 per cent of a child's recommended daily allowance.
This included a child being able to pick out a cheese sandwich, two packets of chocolate biscuits and an apple juice - with families constantly tempted throughout the day to buy more sweet desserts, The Soil Association said.
Parents at one attraction said they were refused a glass of tap water and told to buy a bottle from the restaurant - and no vending machines at any attractions offered healthy drinks as the normal option.
The survey found that cost was an indication of healthy food, with children's meals at attractions in the bottom five of the league table on average more than £1 more expensive than those in the top five.
It also found just 14 per cent of parents thought that children's food at popular attractions was good enough.
The London zoo lunchbox selection prompts children to take a sandwich, a jelly pot, a drink, and two treats.
Other ultra-processed foods were found to be on offer across the attractions, including Tunnocks Caramel Wafers, Robinsons Fruit Shoot and Cadbury Animals as well as strawberry jam sandwiches on white bread and chocolate muffins.
However, the two top attractions on the annual league table, the Eden Project and Chester Zoo, both offered healthier choices - with the latter serving locally-sourced milk and farm-assured meat, while all meals at the Eden Project were freshly prepared and included locally sourced meat and vegetables.
The meals at Eden Project included home-cooked ham wraps, pasta and med veg pots and a fresh grape pot.
Soil Association policy officer Rob Percival 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 characterise family outings, parents will have a hard time convincing their children that healthy food can be a treat too."
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The Natural History Museum - which received the lowest ranking - said: "As a museum we help inform choices for society to create a sustainable future. We are continually striving to minimise our own negative environmental impacts and work with our colleagues and suppliers to promote environmental best practice.
"Our restaurants and cafes are run by Benugo, who exceed standard practice for ingredients provenance, welfare and farm assurance, and seasonality.
"We look forward to engaging more fully in the survey next year and are confident that our high standards will result in a better ranking."
WHAT ARE THE HEALTHIEST ATTRACTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS?
The Soil Association's league table has ranked attractions out of 150 .
Here they are, from the lowest to the highest
Natural History Museum (21)
Brighton Pier (22)
British Museum (23)
Alton Towers (24)
Stirling Castle (26)
The National Gallery (28)
National Museum Wales (34)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (35)
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (39)
ZSL London Zoo (45)
Stonehenge (46)
Mac Birmingham (48)
Millennium Gallery Sheffield (52)
Wales Millennium Centre (52)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens (54)
Titanic Belfast (65)
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (76)
Durham Cathedral (79)
Chester Zoo (81)
Eden Project (97)
Anne Martin, managing director of Brighton Pier which was ranked second from bottom, said: "Palm Court (family restaurant) sells only sustainable fish and this is advertised on all menus.
"It is especially disappointing as the kids' menu in Palm Court was at the forefront of Jamie Oliver's national Sugar Smart campaign offering reduced sugar items to children and has received many compliments for this.
"Hopefully next time Palm Court's commitment to sustainability and provenance will be recognised and we will be happy to take part in future surveys."
Alton Towers, which also received a poor score, said: "We have spent many thousands of pounds investing in the ability to provide healthy alternatives to popular food choices.
"We work with external nutritionists to reduce fat, salt and sugar content of staple food items, we grill rather than fry wherever we can, we hide vegetables in some of our burgers and we do offer fruit pots and fruit salads in all of our main restaurants where there are children's menus."
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