However, has the changing workplace affected how Brits are approaching food and health in general? And, just how easy is it to maintain dietary and fitness goals whilst working in the office?
To find out, we surveyed more than 1,000 British workers to explore the trends in workplace eating habits; including what we are currently offered to snack on by employers and colleagues, how easy we find it to maintain our fitness goals, and attitudes towards going into the workplace, based on the type of food available to workers.
This study analysed:
- What current attitudes are towards healthy eating in the office
- How workplace snacks have evolved over the last five years
- How Britain’s overall outlook on health and fitness evolved
- What is the current outlook of healthy eating at work between ages
- The regions and industries of the UK with the best workplace eating habits
One of the key findings from our study was that overall, two thirds of Britons (65%) are more focused on health and nutrition than they were five years ago, during the pandemic. More than a third (35%) believe they are slightly more focused, and a further three in 10 (30%) believe they are much more focused on health and nutrition than they were at this point half a decade ago.
Another highlight from the study found that three quarters of UK workers (74%) will exercise at least three times a week, suggesting a strong prioritisation of health and fitness outside of office hours.
Our study highlighted that this shift in attitudes towards healthier lifestyles has also transferred into our workplace and office habits.
For the majority of British workers, high-protein content was found to be an important consideration when choosing lunchtime meals, with protein credited towards recovery and muscle development.
Just under half of workers (42%) say that protein content is a part of their thinking when choosing lunch, and a further one in five (20%) go one step further and say it is their main consideration at lunch.
Sweets were revealed as the most common choice of snack in the office – with half of Brits (47%) claiming they’ve been offered them at least once by a colleague.
However, our habits may actually be expanding to healthier alternatives.
Our study found that just under two in five (37%) people have been offered fruit at work, which actually placed higher than crisps - with just a third (33%) saying they’ve been offered the fried potato staple – and pizza, with just over one in five (21%) claiming to have been offered a slice.
On the healthier side, our research found that the same amount of people have been offered nuts at work as they have pizza (21%), which in their purest form are a source of fibre and protein.
Whilst on the topic of protein, a significant proportion of the study claimed to have been offered protein-based snacks, signalling a shift in our workplace snacking habits.
Just under one in six (17%) workers have been offered protein bars in the office, whilst just under
one in seven (14%) have been offered high protein yoghurts as a workplace snack.
Although neither rank as highly as office staples such as biscuits – which just under half of workers (46%) have been offered – their inclusion and relevant statistics in the list highlights that workers are at least considering alternatives to feast on whilst at work.
Undoubtedly, the office is a source of temptation while trying to stick to a dietary plan or fitness goal.
However, as our study uncovered that two in five (39%) workers would be more likely to work in the office if their employers offered healthier snacks, our findings also suggested that we sometimes waver in reaching our fitness goals at work.
Of those who revealed they were offered chocolate bars at work, just under half (44%) admitted they were tempted at least a few times a week, with one in six (16%) claiming this was as frequent as at least once a day.
Although a third of Brits believe working from the office doesn’t affect their reaching their dietary goals, a significant proportion revealed the opposite. The results from our study found that just under half of British workers (44%) disclosed that they find it somewhat harder to reach their goals, and under a fifth (18%) actually find it easier.
In addition to the earlier mentioned stat of two thirds of Brits (65%) that are more focused on health and nutrition compared to five years, further data points towards workers prioritising their fitness goals.
More than a quarter of Britons (27%) exercise at least once a day, which is far greater than the one in eight (12%) who exercise less than once a week, or not at all – including 7% who claim to never exercise.
Those who are being offered more nutritious snacks at work are finding themselves offered these at a much higher frequency than some of the unhealthier options. Of the employees who have been offered protein bars in the office, around three in five (58%) are being offered these at least a few times a week, with three in ten (28%) offered the snack at least once a day.
Even those who have been offered fruit in the office, just under half (45%) were found to have been offered this snack at least a few times a week, with a quarter (24%) offered fruit at work daily, and also significantly more than other workplace snacks such as sweets and chocolate bars.
Of those who had been offered either sweets or chocolate bars at work, only around one in six (16% and 17% respectively) said they were offered these daily – signalling that healthier snack choices in the workplace could be in more demand and further highlighting a shift towards healthier snacking alternatives.
Despite being the most likely age range to have been offered chocolate in the workplace, with half of 18-24-year-old workers (50%) admitting to this, the younger generation of workers were found to be the most health-conscious age ranges when it comes to snacking at work.
Just a third (34%) of 18-24-year-olds have been offered sweets at work, which is the lowest rate from all of the age categories sampled, with 45-54-year-olds being the most likely at just over half (54%).
However, when compared to healthier snacking alternatives such as protein bars and fruit, 18-24- year-old workers have some of the highest rates, with three in 10 (29%) offered a protein bar, and just under half (42%) were offered fruit. A huge contrast when compared to workers over the age of 65+, with just under a quarter (24%) offered fruit at any point in their career whilst in the office.
When it comes to lunch choices, younger workers are also leading the way when it comes to their thoughts on macro nutrients, with more than half of 18-24-year-olds (55%) claiming high protein content is an important consideration when deciding what to eat at work.
This was the highest rate out of any age group sampled, and significantly more than older age groups surveyed, particularly those aged 65+, with less than quarter (24%) giving the same response, and even compared to 55-64 year-olds, with just under a third (31%) saying protein is an important consideration for lunch.
The most active occupation found from our study was those working in construction, with just
under a third (30%) claiming they exercise more than once a day. Marketing and PR professionals
also placed high for the amount of exercise they do, with more than two in five (41%) stating they
exercise at least once a day.
When it comes to the evolution of health and nutrition, those working in the energy sector are the most likely to feel more focused on the subject than they were compared to five years ago, as more than four in five (81%) professionals say they are more conscious of the topic.
Lastly, our study analysed workers from around the UK for their thoughts on healthy eating in the office, and we found a huge variety in trends between locations across the UK.
For example, Sheffield and Leeds are leading the way when it comes to hitting dietary goals when in the office with around three in 10 workers (30% and 27% respectively) from each city claiming they found it somewhat easier to achieve their goals whilst working in the office, in comparison to Cardiff where around one in 20 (6%) responded with the same answer.
In addition to this, workers in Bristol gave the highest response rate that they found it harder to hit dietary goals whilst in the office, with just under two-thirds of workers (60%) claiming this.
Workers in locations such as Glasgow (73%), Manchester (70%), and Birmingham (67%) lead the way in the UK for considering protein as an important consideration for lunchtime choices.
Our study on healthy eating in the workplace analysed the links between snack offerings, meal considerations, and general fitness habits of workers across the UK.
The trends analysed show that we are continuously improving our attitudes towards health and nutrition, with the high rates of workers’ thoughts compared to five years ago on the topic being a standout indicator of this.
Overall, these findings show that as a nation, we are developing new and healthier eating habits in the workplace, and although there is still room for improvement in what we are choosing to consume throughout the day, the findings paint a good picture that we are making more nutritious and well-considered choices for our health.
Sources & Methodology:
41% of UK businesses offer a hybrid working policy - https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/employers-return-to-office-plans/
Survey of 1,003 British workers undertaken in August 2025.