Scottish workers condemn lack of healthy lunch options

Scottish employees have hit out at the lack of healthy lunch choices on offer near their workplaces.

In a survey of 500 workers across Scotland’s six cities, commissioned by the Scottish Consumer Council, 82% said they were able to work more effectively when they had something healthy to eat at lunchtime.

But almost half (47%) said they were likely to take their lunch into work with them because there are no healthy options available near their workplace.

Nearly all respondents (86%) called on food outlets to actively promote healthier options such as making fruit clearly available or by offering healthy lunchtime meal deals.

Of those asked, 69% said they were more likely to buy healthier lunches if there were more choices available near their workplace and more than half said they would be more likely to purchase lunch from a food outlet if it had achieved an award for serving up healthier food.

Three quarters (76%) agreed they would find it helpful if some kind of recognisable logo was displayed in premises to indicate healthier food choices.

The findings coincide with the anniversary of the consumer launch of the Healthyliving Award.

The award recognises caterers and food outlets that take a range of steps to provide healthier options, such as reducing levels of fat, salt and sugar in food and making fruit and vegetables more easily available.

The second year of the Award will see the Scottish Consumer Council concentrate on four key sectors – workplace restaurants, further and higher education sites, public sector establishments and supermarkets.

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By Daniel Thomas

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