Packed lunches popular with credit crunched workers

Eating ‘al desko’ is growing in popularity as credit crunched office employees bring their own packed lunches to work.

Financial worries mean that office workers in the US and the UK are cutting back on spending.

According to research by Abbey, 17% more Brits are taking a packed lunch to work compared to a year ago.

In a 200 day working year, a £5 lunch every day ends up costing £1,000 – much needed money for those feeling the pinch of the economic downturn.

Market research firm NPD found that money concerns are the main reason city workers are opting for home made.

NPD vice president Henry Balzer said: “Consumers are definitely in a cost-cutting mode and brown-bagging saves them money.”

Health concerns are also dominate – with workers unsure what’s been put into a shop bought sandwich. Home made sandwiches, on the other hand, can be packed full with vegetables.

To make packed lunches eco-friendly, opt for a reusable sandwich box instead of cling film.

Stop waste being thrown into landfill by re-using water bottles and putting last night’s leftovers into your lunchbox.

If chocolate is your thing, make sure it’s fairtrade.