Report highlights workers changing eating habits
January 23, 2009
A new report into the UK and Ireland's eating habits in the workplace has revealed that due to a combination of stress and heavy workloads, most workers are no longer stopping for the traditional lunch-hour away from their desk.
The Eating at Work Report 2008, published by Eurest Services, shows that most workers take a short lunch break and then top up their energy levels with snacks throughout the day. The volume of food that workers eat has not changed, but the way that workers choose to eat has changed.
The average lunch break is now only 29 minutes long, with 7% of workers saying they do not stop work at all and eat lunch while working at their desks. Over three quarters (76%) of workers admit to "grazing" on snacks throughout the day.
On average, British workers take 3.3 lunch breaks per week, with women taking fewer than 3. In 2006, the average was 3.5 lunch breaks per week.
Nick Vadis, executive chef for Eurest Services, said, "Hectic lifestyles and long working hours mean that long lunch breaks were off the menu in 2008, as workers opted for quick-grab food and ate at their desks."
The report goes on to highlight that despite people's best efforts to seek out value for money during the credit crunch, the average price of lunch in 2008 has continued to rise.
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