When it comes to lunch, every employee has his or her own culinary preferences. Some swear by a good hearty meal, while others prefer to eat something on the go. But according to a recent survey, the most popular choice of working people for their lunch break is the iconic sandwich.
The career website KickResume recently examined the culinary habits of workers in 28 countries around the world, and learnt many of them like to eat food typical of their country while on their lunch break.
In Germany, for example, working people eat a bread roll topped with bratwurst, their emblematic pork sausage, while Canadians like to indulge in poutine, a dish of soft cheese fries drowned in brown gravy. In Indonesia, rendang is a hit with the working population.
While each country has its own specialties, the sandwich remains the preferred lunchtime option for Norwegians, Swedes, Greenlanders, French, New Zealanders, Italians and Britons.
And understandably so: every culture in the world has its own version of this dish: the French have ham with butter, while the Scandinavians have smørbrød, a buttered slice of rye bread topped with cold meats, fish, eggs or condiments.
The sandwich has the advantage of being easy to eat: it can be eaten on the go, with one hand, without a plate or cutlery. It’s ideal when you want to take advantage of your lunch break to scroll through social media on your phone or work in peace and quiet.
This dish also has a reputation for being inexpensive – even if some elaborate versions are sold for over US$12.
Employees are increasingly attentive to what they spend during their lunch break, and with good reason: 78% of US employees say they have changed their lunch habits, according to the 2024 edition of ezCater’s “Lunch Report”.
Most of them are cutting back on outings to restaurants with colleagues and preparing their own lunch to take to the office. But that doesn’t mean they enjoy it: seven out of 10 Americans feel that the time they spend in the kitchen prepping their lunch interferes with their leisure time.
When it comes to money, KickResume’s survey reveals that employees in Greenland treat themselves to the most expensive meals during their lunch break. They spend over US$26 on lunch, equivalent to 8% of their salary.
Swedes, Turks and Canadians are just as big spenders, with lunch breaks costing between US$13 and US$17, while Latin American countries have the cheapest and healthiest lunches.
Read the full report here.