Three-Quarters of U.S. Corporate Workers are Eating Lunch at their Desk - and They're Not Sad About It

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Jan 24, 2024, 10:00 ET

Little Leaf Farms Helps Americans Reclaim the Lunch Break with Limited Edition "Happy Desk Salad" Kit

DEVENS, Mass., Jan. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- While much attention is paid to the future of work post-Covid, Little Leaf Farms, the country's #1 brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture, has its sights set squarely on the future of office lunch. In a recent survey conducted by Opinium Research, the brand uncovered that three in four (76%) non-remote corporate workers are eating lunch at their desk at least half the time or more.

In a recent study conducted by Opinium Research on behalf of Little Leaf Farms, 76% of non-remote corporate workers are eating lunch at their desk at least half the time or more – and in fact, 68% of those workers prefer eating lunch at their desk citing convenience and productivity.

Little Leaf Farms is turning the lunch desk into a five-star dining event with its new “Happy Desk Salad” Kit, complete with Little Leaf Farms Crispy Caesar Salad Kit, a desk shade, desktop candelabra, custom placemat and more.

While memes abound for "sad desk lunch" and more specifically "sad desk salad," Little Leaf Farm's survey points to a different story. Sixty-eight percent of workers who take lunch at their desk indicate that they prefer eating lunch at their desk, citing that "it's convenient" (56%) and they "feel more productive" (43%) as their primary reasons.

"Somewhere along the lines the desk salad got seriously maligned and became the symbol of a less-than stellar office lunch experience. We're here to change that perception. Little Leaf Farms is just as serious about leveling up lunchtime as we are about growing a longer-lasting, fresher, more sustainable lettuce," said Jeannie Hannigan, Senior Brand Manager at Little Leaf Farms.

The survey also found that 73% of office workers plan to bring their own lunch to work as often or more often this year with the top motivator being that "it's healthier" (68%). Perhaps not surprisingly, Gen Z is especially likely to say they plan to bring lunch from home more often to save money (58%).

Helping those desk lunch devotees, Little Leaf Farms has created a Happy Desk Salad Kit containing everything needed to turn any desk lunch into a five-star dining event.

"Upon learning just how many corporate workers are committed to eating better and saving money this year, we knew we needed to do our part to spice things up a little. There's no reason a desk salad can't be a five-star dining event and the Happy Desk Salad Kit is sure to take those desk lunches up a few notches."

The limited-edition Little Leaf Farms Happy Desk Salad Kit includes:

Desk shade for private, idyllic lunchtime vibes
Desktop candelabra with three battery-operated candlesticks
Personal water bottle chiller
Custom placement with clearly marked spots for every desk lunch essential, which can easily be washed in the office kitchen sink
Fork, linen napkin and napkin ring
Little Leaf Farms Crispy Caesar Salad Kit packed with Little Leaf Farms Baby Crispy Green Leaf Lettuce, Garlic Croutons, Shredded Parmesan Cheese and Romano Caesar Dressing

Respect the Lunch Break

The choice to dine deskside does still come with plenty of etiquette landmines and the survey indicates that the one biggest obstacle workers have when eating lunch at their desk is not the location, but meetings scheduled during this important time of day.

Two-thirds (67%) of workers report they have meetings scheduled during the lunch hour at least once a week. While nearly half (49%) of workers are okay with scheduling meetings during the lunch hour if it's an urgent matter, (33%) find it rude no matter what. Gen Z and Gen X (38% each) find it especially rude compared to Millennials (32%); women (36%) are also more likely than men (28%) to think that it is rude to book meetings during lunch.

If a meeting is booked during a lunch hour, nearly half (45%) of workers will multi-task and eat lunch at least half the time. For video-based meetings, only 7% of workers always keep cameras on while eating. The main reasons workers decide to turn cameras off are because they think it's rude (58%) or because they don't want people to see them chewing (49%).

Tips for Making the Most of Your Desk Salad

Little Leaf Farms teamed up with the queen of office etiquette, TikTok star Corporate Natalie, to help office workers set boundaries and ensure their desk lunches are truly "happy." Whether you have a Happy Desk Salad Kit or not, everyone can enjoy their office lunch by remembering a few simple tips:

Set boundaries that help you prioritize an actual lunch break. One easy way to do this is blocking off 30 minutes each day so that you can count on having a midday break where you can enjoy your lunch in peace. Even if you're eating it at your desk, a meeting-free meal will give you a bit of a mental breather.
Being in the corporate world usually means running from one thing to the next all day long, so choose a better-for-you lunch packed with veggies that keeps you going. Something convenient like Little Leaf Farms Salad Kits taste great, come with all the ingredients you need and stay fresh much longer than other salad kits. They're also handy for when you can't (or just don't want to) meal prep.
Most of us eat lunch at our desks - but desk lunch days don't have to be sad. Throw on your headphones and jam to some good music, get yourself a fancy placemat to save your keyboard from crumbs, grab a linen napkin and a real fork and dig in!

For a chance to snag a Little Leaf Farms Happy Desk Salad Kit, visit https://www.littleleaffarms.com/happy-desk-salad-kit/. For more information, recipe inspiration and local retail availability, visit www.littleleaffarms.com.

Survey conducted by Opinium Research among a sample of 1,00 U.S. adults who work hybrid or in-person desk jobs. The survey was completed December 12-19, 2023.

About Little Leaf Farms
Little Leaf Farms is on a mission to transform the way food is grown through peri-urban agricultural practices that are rebuilt for the modern world. Using advanced greenhouse technologies, Little Leaf Farms is growing fresh, sustainably farmed lettuce 365 days a year. Little Leaf Farms utilizes captured rainwater, natural sunlight that shines through high transmission glass, and solar-powered energy in their precise, soil-less hydroponic farming. The crispy, flavorful baby greens are harvested without ever touching human hands and are never treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. For more information, visit littleleaffarms.com or @littleleaffarms.

SOURCE Little Leaf Farms