It’s 2:30 p.m. on a Tuesday before you realize your last meal was a rushed cup of coffee at 7 a.m. Your stomach is growling, your energy’s fading, and you’re still glued to your computer. For many Americans, this isn’t an occasional slip — it’s a routine.
A new Talker Research survey, commissioned by Buddig for National Sandwich Month, shows that 55% of U.S. workers regularly skip lunch on busy days to stay productive. On average, employees forget to eat lunch entirely two days each week.
Nearly half (43%) need outside prompts to remember their midday meal, with women more likely than men to rely on reminders (63% versus 48%).
The Disappearing Lunch Hour
The classic hour-long lunch is nearly extinct. One in 10 workers (13%) often eat while working, and a third (33%) eat at their desk or workstation.
Remote workers are the most likely to eat at their desks (41%), followed by hybrid workers (38%) and in-person employees (28%). However, hybrid workers are the most likely to take a proper lunch break (94%), compared to 85% of remote workers and 87% of in-person workers.
When they do eat, many settle for snacks over full meals. While 63% manage a proper lunch most days, 37% graze instead.
The average lunch break now lasts just 35 minutes, starting around 12:48 p.m. Even then, 43% keep multitasking — with women more likely to work through lunch than men (51% vs. 33%). Most use breaks to check social media (70%), text (64%), or make calls (55%), though 84% agree that going offline benefits their health.
Sandwiches Still Reign Supreme
Sandwiches remain the top choice for lunch: 75% of workers pick them most often, and 70% of parents say their kids do too.
Most employees (62%) bring lunch from home, while 33% buy theirs and 5% have meals provided by their employer. Beyond sandwiches, salads (45%) and hamburgers (33%) are popular. For kids’ lunches, parents most often pack sandwiches (58%), pre-made kits (36%), and pizza (30%).
Parents Feed Kids Better Than Themselves
Parents with school-aged children are far more likely to rate their kids’ lunches as healthy (83%) than their own (74%).
Work setup influences nutrition: hybrid workers report the healthiest lunches (79%), followed by remote (71%) and in-person (65%) employees. Workers whose lunches are employer-provided report slightly healthier meals (75%) than those bringing food from home (72%) or buying it (62%).
Men are more likely than women to stop work for lunch (91% vs. 85%).
Why Lunch Still Matters
Amy Krider, senior brand manager at Buddig, warns against skipping meals:
“While it can be tempting to power through your workday and skip taking a lunch, it’s important to give yourself a break and eat a full, substantial meal. We need energy to do our best work — and we also need breaks from screens and tasks for our health and wellness.”
Krider notes that busy work schedules — especially for parents — often push nutrition down the priority list. “That’s where the classic sandwich comes in handy,” she adds. “Protein-filled and versatile, it’s included among respondents’ favorite lunch meals for a reason.”
The survey paints a picture of a workforce caught in a productivity trap — where skipped meals, desk dining, and constant connectivity are normalized. For many, the lunch break isn’t just shrinking — it’s disappearing.
Methodology: Talker Research surveyed 2,000 employed Americans — including 1,000 parents of school-aged children — from July 15–18, 2025. The online survey used non-probability sampling and included quality controls to screen out bots, duplicates, and unsuitable responses. Results have a 95% confidence level, with cell sizes of at least 80 respondents.