7 different (and weird) ways workers around the world eat lunch

Parekh, a manager at an accounting firm, blames traffic congestion and increased pressure on workers for lack of time. Eating a quick lunch is a priority.

Although he usually brings food from home, there are also An alternative and unique solution in Mumbai: Hot food boxes, calls Small cakesare sent to offices from restaurants or homes by courier known as dabbawalas.

the dabbawalas They use a unique encrypted system to track hundreds of thousands of meals and make fewer than 3.4 errors per million transactions.

“This secret encryption system is passed on to the heirs, and the company remains in the same family for years,” says 63-year-old Paraykh.

Another place where lunch speed is a priority is Mbale, Uganda, where Sarah Jimono works as a project manager at a nonprofit.

She says that eating as quickly as possible gives people more time to work, however People rarely skip lunch.

“Dinner is less important in Uganda than lunch“When people need to take a break from work,” says the 27-year-old, he usually takes 30 minutes for lunch and eats at a nearby restaurant.

“The work culture in Uganda is very diverse, some people eat lunch in the office while others go to nearby restaurants and enjoy lunch as a team,” he explains.

Fortunately for Jimono, who often does fieldwork on various projects in Uganda, It's easy to get fast, cheap and delicious street foodsuch as the so-called Rolex: Chapati wrapped (hence the name) around an egg mixture with fried onions and tomatoes.

New Yorker says professional dog walker Vanessa Monroy, 40 They can spend their entire lunch break working row To buy a salad or sandwich.

Instead, she prepares snack bars and other non-perishable foods to eat throughout the day.

“It's easier for me to have a good breakfast in the morning at home and then pack snacks In my bag,” he explains.

the Small, frequent meals are healthier Instead of three large meals, he says, you avoid the groggy feeling that often follows a big lunch.

“Fast food is more convenient, but it's not as good,” he says.

In the United States, workers tend to take shorter lunch breaks than in other countries.

For example, in a 2016 survey conducted by corporate services company Edenred of its employees, 51% of Consult him andn It took us 15-30 minutes to eat lunchOnly 3% took more than 45 minutes, which is much less than in France, where 43% of participants took 45 minutes or more.

the com. jollijeeps, Semi-permanent food trucksThey began popping up in Makati City about five years ago, as part of an initiative to streamline and regulate street vendors, says Faith Rajas, a director at an investment management firm.

Her favorite, Lirios, is a three-minute walk from her office.

“Instead of the usual greasy food sold in plastic on the street, there are some good ones com. jollijeeps Which has become famous for offering healthy, homemade lunches that give workers another option so they don't have to go to a restaurant or cafeteria.”

Eating three meals a day is crucial in the Philippines, says Rajas, as lunchtime is protected under labor law, with each employee allotted one hour for every eight hours worked.

France is known for its generous business lunch culture. For example, the Edenried poll found that 43% of French people surveyed take 45 minutes or more for lunch, and 72% eat at a restaurant at least once a week.

Parisian product designer and illustrator François Billan often buys his food from a local supermarket Eat with your colleagues in the kitchen at work.

But at least once a week they go to a restaurant in the 20th arrondissement for an hour or so. At work, “he and his colleagues talk a lot, and exchange opinions and ideas with others about things.”

“The conversation extends to meals, which They are an important social aspect of French life“Explains the 35-year-old.

There is also another incentive to eat lunch in France, where the population drank 11.3% of the world's wine consumed in 2014.

“On Fridays, when we're more relaxed, we usually go to a restaurant together as a group Have beer or wine with lunch“.

“I don't eat fast or fast food,” says Tamar Kassabian, 31, who works as a manager at Citystars Heliopolis, one of the largest shopping malls in Egypt. “So I prepare my lunch or buy something simple from a nearby restaurant.” Cairo.

Since breakfast is usually large and eaten late in the morning, Kasabian says so Lunch is often delayed until 3 or 4 p.m. And dinner until 9 pm or later.

“Many companies give an hour or two of lunch break, but people use that time to drink coffee and the rest of breakfast, and then Take another half hour for lunch later“, he says.

Kassabian notes that in the past year, workers have begun using companies like Yumamia, a “junk-free food delivery service,” to bring healthy food to the office.

Elisa Rinaldi Prepare healthy ingredients at home She organizes the midday meal at The Office, a content production agency in downtown São Paulo, where she works as communications director.

His business partner, Natasha, does the same. “toWe both care about our health And we save money“Says the 34-year-old.

Rinaldi explains that his routine is not typical in São Paulo, where lunch is usually the main meal of the day.

“Most companies offer meal tickets — dining credits as part of your job benefits — for that People tend to go out for lunch.

“In São Paulo, you work long hours (often 9-7pm), so it makes sense takeshe An hour to eat lunch and leave the office“, he confirms.

“People try to break the habit of working long hours, but there is a traditional mentality that if you are not present, you will not work hard,” he says.

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