Survey: More than half of U.S. employees who typically eat lunch during work hours struggle to make it healthy

New survey from the American Heart Association and Aramark highlights employed Americans’ desire to eat more healthfully and reveals impact of workplace environment on nutrition choices.

DALLAS, June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half (56%) of employed Americans who typically eat lunch during work hours struggle to eat a healthy lunch at work, and more than three quarters (77%) say they’re more likely to make healthier decisions at other times of the day if they eat healthy at lunch, according to a new survey from the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives, and Aramark, the largest U.S. based food service company.

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association and Aramark as part of their joint initiative, Healthy for Life^® 20 By 20, among 907 employed U.S. adults aged 18 or older who say they typically eat lunch during work hours.

“Understanding what employees are eating for lunch on a typical workday and what factors influence their choices helps us develop strategies to improve dietary intake with multi-level approaches through food systems, communities and individuals,” said Anne Thorndike, MD, MPH, vice chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “The finding that healthier food choices at work may impact food choices throughout the rest of the day presents a unique opportunity for the workplace to have a positive influence on not only the employee’s health but also the health of the employee’s family.”

The survey of employed U.S. adults who typically eat lunch during work hours found that:

• More than 9 in 10 (91%) are interested in improving the healthfulness of their typical workday lunch with employees under 40 more likely to be extremely/very interested compared to employees aged 40+ (65% vs. 55%).
• More than 4 in 5 (82%) agree that having healthy food options at work is important to them and more than 2 in 3 (68%) value help from their employer in becoming healthier.
• About 4 in 5 (79%) whose workplace has on-site cafeteria, food service or vending machines get food there at least some of the time.
• Nearly 9 in 10 (86%) prepare work lunches at home at least some of the time, with women more likely to do so than men (91% vs. 82%).
• When eating an unhealthy lunch, employees under age 40 are more likely to be impacted at least a little bit by cost (91% vs. 79%) and choices of their peers or coworkers (75% vs. 50%) than employees aged 40+.
• On a stressful day at work, about 1 in 3 (35%) say their lunch is less healthy than a typical day, with women more likely to say so than men (40% vs 32%).

Motivated by its mission to enrich and nourish lives and its Healthy for Life 20 By 20 collaboration with the American Heart Association to improve the health of all Americans, Aramark launched a major plant-forward initiative to boost nutrition across its menus in colleges and universities, hospital cafés and workplace locations. The initiative has resulted in a 15% average reduction in calories, saturated fat and sodium, and significant increases in fruits, vegetables and whole grains across those dining location menus.

“Aramark and the American Heart Association are proud of our shared commitment to help millions of people lead healthier lives,” says Dan Wainfan, vice president, Brand Health, Wellness and Nutrition at Aramark. “Through this survey, and as part of extensive consumer insights gained throughout our Healthy for Life 20 By 20 initiative, consumers are emphasizing that health and wellness is top of mind every day. While they don’t always make a healthy choice, they always want delicious, healthy choices available—at work and at home.”

While employees who typically eat lunch during work hour cite limited availability of healthy foods (43%) as having a great deal/quite a bit of impact on eating an unhealthy lunch, more of these employees cite convenience (60%) and taste preference (54%) as having a great deal/quite a bit of impact on choosing an unhealthy lunch.

“Improving the nutrition content and reducing calories of classic favorites and typically indulgent menu items helps. Having more plant-based options to choose from at home and on menus helps. But in the end, people still need to choose to eat healthier food. The good news is most people said they are interested in doing better,” said Thorndike.

To arm people with the skills and information they need to eat healthier at work and at home, Healthy for Life offers free, turn-key educational programming and support resources at www.heart.org/healthyforlife.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia resources available on the right column of the release link: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/survey-more-than-half-of-u-s-employees-who-typically-eat-lunch-during-work-hours-struggle-to-make-it-healthy?preview=9885a3d6244cbe5bd5fd9f84b9854606
• Interviews available with nutrition experts, business dining experts, chefs and registered dietitians on request.
• Detailed survey results available on request.
• Articles on nutrition, exercise and wellness from the American Heart Association: www.heart.org/healthyforgood
• Tips from Aramark chefs and registered dietitians: www.FYP365.com

Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association and Aramark from May 14-16, 2019 among 1,062 employed U.S. adults ages 18 and older, 907 of whom say they typically eat lunch during work hours. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Jayme.Sandberg@heart.org.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 270,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. We work to put our sustainability goals into action by focusing on initiatives that engage our employees, empower healthy living, preserve our planet and build local communities. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Learn more at http://www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Healthy for Life® 20 By 20
In 2015 the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives, and Aramark, the largest U.S. based food service company established a multi-year collaboration called Healthy for Life 20 By 20 to improve the health of all Americans through better nutrition and lifestyle habits. For more information on Healthy for Life 20 By 20, visit: heart.org/healthyforlife.

For Media Inquiries:
Jayme Sandberg 214-706-2169; jayme.sandberg@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org

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SOURCE American Heart Association

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