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(Photo by Krakenimages.com on Shutterstock)<\/p>\n
In A Nutshell<\/strong><\/p>\n NEW YORK \u2014<\/strong> It\u2019s 2:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, and you suddenly realize you haven\u2019t eaten since that hurried cup of coffee at 7 a.m. Your stomach is growling, your energy is dipping, and you\u2019re staring at your computer screen wondering where the day went. While this might sound familiar, it also reflects a growing reality for many workers.<\/p>\n A new Talker Research survey reveals that more than half of American workers regularly skip lunch to stay productive<\/a>. According to research commissioned by Buddig for National Sandwich Month, 55% of employed Americans forgo eating lunch on hectic days, choosing work over food. On average, workers completely forget to eat lunch two days out of the work week.<\/p>\n Nearly half of all workers (43%) rely on external reminders just to remember to eat their midday meal.<\/a> Women need these prompts more than men, with 63% requiring reminders compared to 48% of men.<\/p>\n Lunch Hour Isn\u2019t Even 45 Minutes Anymore<\/p>\n The traditional lunch break has largely disappeared<\/a>. More than one in ten workers (13%) regularly eat while working instead of taking an actual break from their tasks. A third of employed Americans (33%) routinely eat their midday meal at their desk or workstation.<\/p>\n Remote workers are the biggest culprits of desk dining, with 41% eating at their workspace compared to 38% of hybrid workers and 28% of in-person employees. However, hybrid workers are most likely to take true lunch breaks at 94%, compared to 85% of remote workers and 87% of in-person employees.<\/p>\n When workers do manage to eat, the quality often suffers. While 63% of working Americans eat a full meal for lunch most days, 37% have abandoned proper meals altogether, instead snacking or grazing on small foods throughout the day.<\/p>\n The lunch hour now lasts just 35 minutes on average, with workers eating at 12:48 p.m. Even during these abbreviated breaks, many can\u2019t disconnect. Among those who step away from work to eat, 43% continue multitasking, with women more likely than men to multitask<\/a> while eating lunch (51% versus 33%).<\/p>\n During lunch breaks, workers most commonly check social media (70%), text (64%), and make phone calls (55%). Yet 84% of respondents agreed that taking offline lunch breaks, without screens or technology<\/a>, benefits their health.<\/p>\n What To Eat For Lunch At The Office<\/p>\n Three-quarters of workers (75%) choose sandwiches as their go-to lunch meal, and 70% of parents report their school-aged children also prefer sandwiches at lunchtime.<\/p>\n Most employed Americans (62%) bring lunch from home on a typical workday, while a third (33%) purchase their meal and 5% have meals provided by their employer. Working Americans most commonly eat sandwiches<\/a>, followed by salads (45%), and hamburgers (33%) for lunch. Their children\u2019s school lunches feature sandwiches (58%), pre-made meal kits (36%), and pizza (30%) most frequently.<\/p>\n Are Working Parents Neglecting Their Own Nutrition?<\/p>\n A troubling health gap emerges when comparing how workers feed themselves versus their children<\/a>. While 83% of parents with school-aged kids describe their children\u2019s lunches as healthy, only 74% can say the same about their own meals.<\/p>\n Work arrangements impact lunch quality. Hybrid workers report eating the healthiest lunches (79%) compared to remote workers (71%) and in-person employees (65%). Those whose lunches are provided by employers report having healthier meals (75%) than those who bring homemade lunches (72%) or purchase their food (62%).<\/p>\n Gender differences also affect eating habits. Men (91%) are more likely than women (85%) to pause their work to eat lunch.<\/p>\n Amy Krider, senior brand manager at Buddig, emphasizes the importance of proper workplace nutrition. \u201cWhile it can be tempting to power through your workday and skip taking a lunch, it\u2019s important to give yourself a break and eat a full, substantial meal,\u201d she says. \u201cNot only do we need all the energy we can get from a filling meal to do our best work, we also need little breaks from our screens and tasks during the day as well for our health and wellness<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Krider acknowledges the challenges facing working parents: \u201cBusy work schedules mean that many don\u2019t have time to pack healthy, protein-filled lunches. And working parents have the added struggle of making sure their kiddos get nutritious, filling meals while at school. That\u2019s where the classic sandwich can come in handy. Protein-filled and versatile, it\u2019s included among respondents\u2019 favorite lunch meals for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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Nearly two-thirds of workers bring their own lunch to the office, with sandwiches being the clear favorite meal. (\u00a9 Africa Studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com)<\/p>\n