Workers return to packed lunches to cope with rising cost of living

Office workers are increasingly returning to packed lunches as they seek to protect household budgets from the rising cost of living, a survey has suggested.

Almost half of UK professionals (46%) now take a packed lunch to work more frequently than they did a year ago, the poll for online grocer Ocado found.

The trend is particularly pronounced among younger workers, with 64% of those aged 18 to 45 saying they take lunch to work more often than they did a year ago.

Overall, some 69% say that buying lunch near the office has become too expensive while 72% say bringing food from home helps them better manage household finances.

Nutrition is another key reason for taking food from home, with 66% saying packed lunches make it easier to eat healthily and track calories.

Traditional sandwiches remain popular, included in 52% of packed lunches, while Ocado’s own figures show searches for both “lunch bowls” and lunchbox snacks are up 79% year on year, while sales of ziplock bags are up 60%.

Sales of Babybel cheese snacks are also up, by 34% year on year.

Dan Elton, chief customer officer at Ocado Retail, said: “Consumers are looking for smart, practical ways to save money, embracing packed lunches as part of their routine to curb everyday on-the-go spending.

“Our search trends show there is a clear demand for affordable, inspiring options amongst our customers.”

Clariti surveyed 2,126 UK adults in August.

Published: 14/09/2026 by Radio NewsHub