Why Brits are Creatures of Habit
A study into the lunchtime eating habits of 2,000 office workers found that three in ten eat identical lunches every day and that cheese sandwiches were their top choice.
The results showed 32 per cent eat an identical lunch every day and have done so for over four and a half years on average. This is the equivalent of eating over 1,000 identical cheese sandwiches over and over.
The study, which was commissioned by Lurpak, claimed that this might be the reason why a quarter of workers have had colleagues make comments about how repetitive their lunch is or have been asked why they never mix up the routine.
Results showed that 12.30pm is the most common time for people to start their lunch break, with ham sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and salad among the top five most common choices.
More than six in ten Brits say they are creatures of habit and rarely mix up their lunchtime menus.
Although half of those polled felt fed up or bored by their lunch choices, the biggest reasons to stick to the same lunch each day were ‘it’s convenient’ and ‘it’s my routine’.
Food psychologist, Greg Tucker, who worked with Lurpak to launch its new ‘go freestyle’ campaign, said, “This research demonstrates that the repetition of eating the same food every day can provide reassurance and stability. However we all have an innate desire for exploration and would benefit from shaking things up.”
“New tastes and experiences can excite and motivate us, especially when we have a far greater selection of foods to experiment with than we’ve ever had before. After all, classic sandwich fillings like cheese, ham and chicken can now be enjoyed in so many different ways.”
“It can be a positive move to re-combine, re-imagine and re-invent our meals,” he said.
“It isn’t always necessary to introduce new foods – you can go freestyle by using a new combination of well-known ingredients to refresh and reinvigorate your palate.”
Four in ten Brits say that lunch is usually the highlight of their working day. The study also found that thoughts first turn to thinking about lunchtime by 10am and spends £13 per week on their lunch on average, results showed.
But while cheese sandwiches may be going up in popularity, some traditional sandwiches are dying out- six in ten Brits haven’t eaten a jam, marmalade or banana sandwich in well over a year.
Brown bread was the more preferable over white for Brits whipping up a sandwich, results showed. More than half of those polled will add crisps to their sandwich occasionally, with cheese and onion the most commonly thrown in.
While nearly a quarter of those polled will Instagram their culinary creations if proud of their work.
Thryth Jarvis, Senior Brand Manager at Arla Foods which makes Lurpak, said, “Lunchtime should be something we look forward to, yet this research shows that the traditional lunch hour may be a thing of the past with Brits taking just 35 minutes on average for their break.”
“So many of us are in a rut and don’t have the energy, time or confidence to try something new. But re-evaluating those lunchtime choices and being more adventurous needn’t be hard work or time consuming.”
“That’s why we’re encouraging food lovers to ‘go freestyle’ and have some fun with their favourite foods! Try a pulled chicken waffle burger or peach and ricotta on raisin bread. No recipe, no plan, no carefully measured ingredients. That’s freestyle,” he said.
THE LIST OF BRITAIN’S MOST POPULAR LUNCHES
1. Cheese sandwich
2. Ham sandwich
3. Chicken sandwich
4. Salad
5. Other sandwich
6. Tomato soup
7. Pasta
8. Vegetable soup
9. Wrap
10. Microwave meal
11. Jacket potato and tuna
12. Prawn sandwich
13. Noodles/ stir-fry
14. Jacket potato and other
15. Beans on toast
16. Curry
17. Sushi
18. Jacket potato and chilli
