Oh, the daily grind. Day in, day out, we’re weighed down like a ton of bricks by the same ol’ routine. But surely that's where lunchtime comes in...that precious time to mix things up a little. Why wouldn't you want yours bursting with more flavours, variety and colour than your entire working week?
Or maybe not. The Times reports a staggering three quarters of British office workers have been eating the same lunch every day, for the past nine months, and one in six have been eating the same meal for the past two years. No surprises 81% of the respondents from New Covent Garden Soup’s survey confess they're ‘bored’. When I imagine a two-year monogamous relationship with my jam sandwich, I can see their point.* *The ham sandwich actually cropped up Top of the Nosh, followed by its neighbours the cheese and chicken sandwich, with salad swooping in at fourth place. Egg sandwich and prawn sandwiches also made it into the Top Ten.
Still, this leaves the unanswered question - why play it so safe? More than seven out of ten respondents said the lack of variety makes for an easy life. Repeat offenders also feel this lifestyle choice is a cheaper option (a special shout-out goes to the 19% who just ‘fessed up they didn't know what to eat instead.) A number of respondents claimed such a routine was a 'healthier' choice but Psychologist Becky Spelman begs to differ.
Spelman claims eating the same thing puts you at risk of not getting a wide enough variety of nutrients. Equally, Spelman affirms your lunch choices aren’t just about food but they say something about you too, ‘Making small changes, such as trying something new for our lunchtime meal, can — in a small way — help to open our mind to new experiences in other areas of life too.’
So next time you make a beeline for your usual order, why not live on the wild side? Try outdoing Craig David and his crazy repertoire of flavours? If you’re really not fussed, things could be worse. One person admitted they had eaten the same ham sandwich and piece of fruit – for 20 years…
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.