Discover how working from home has changed our diets (it's not what you expected!)

"Before the pandemic, office life left many of us at the mercy of overpriced meal deals, vending machines, and a rushed lunch break. Research shows only 37 per cent of European workers took a full lunch break when working on-site, while 10 per cent of UK workers skip their lunch breaks altogether. Data suggests that office lunches can lean heavily on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - quick and convenient, but low in nutritional value."

"The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has highlighted challenges associated with home working, noting that it's easy to lose track of time and skip lunch when lacking the visual prompts from colleagues. In the US, a 2023 survey suggests that workers are 40 per cent more likely to skip lunch than they were a year prior, with almost half reporting that they skip lunch at least once a week. Having back-to-back remote meetings was one of the reasons reported for not having lunch."

"Working from home has undoubtedly shifted the dynamic at lunchtime. In many cases, people now have access to their own kitchen, their own fridge and more control over what goes on their plate. That's resulted in more home-cooked meals - at least some of the time. An analysis of worldwide research during the pandemic suggested vastly different patterns emerging from different countries, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption in Italy, Spain and South America,"

Office lunches before the pandemic often consisted of overpriced meal deals, vending-machine items and rushed breaks, with only 37% of European workers taking a full on-site lunch and 10% of UK workers skipping lunch. Workplace food was frequently ultra-processed, and stress and convenience drove UPF consumption for some workers. The shift to home working created mixed outcomes: many people gained kitchen access and control, increasing home-cooked lunches in some countries, while others reported worsened diets or more skipped meals. Remote work also brought new barriers to eating, such as back-to-back meetings and loss of social visual prompts.

Read at Good Food