The tradition of carrying a lunch box to office seems to be going out of style thanks to tight schedules, writes RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA
If it is lunchtime, it is quite possible your colleague will suggest a new darshini or the same tried-and-tested eat out that takes care of your hunger pangs everyday. The concept of carrying a lunch box even though healthy, somehow seems just that bit obsolete with the growing, working population.
If one observes the increasing number of people at any Darshini at noontime, it seems like a natural transition in new-age lifestyle. Modern-day schedules, as well as the effort and inconvenience of carrying prepared meals from home are some of the reasons why people prefer to eat out, instead of taking tiffin boxes.
A majority suggest the transition is a reflection of increasing number of women entering into professional streams. Yet when probed, there appears to be more factors that are contributing to this shift. For some, they do not want to cause too much inconvenience at home. Others feel when hot meals are readily available, there seems to be no point in carrying lunch which would be cold by the time one eats it.
Gautam Halkurke, a senior software engineer working in Accenture says: “I do understand a meal from home is any day better than having something outside, but it is not practically possible. I generally have to leave at half-past seven in the morning. My mom has been packing my dad’s lunch box for years; I do not want to cause additional inconvenience by pressuring her to pack something early for me as well. Either I eat at the office canteen or a few colleagues get together and go to a nearby restaurant.”
Ramachandra, cashier at Nisarga restaurant on Infantry Road says, “It’s a matter of convenience. There are many reasons why the working population comes here at noontime. We have found out a lot of companies nearby, even though they have a canteen facility, order tiffin boxes for their employees. People prefer having a meal in a vegetarian restaurant rather than from a tiffin box that comes with vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.”
It is not just working women who have the time constraint; even homemakers find this a convenient option, as packing lunch in the prime rush hour seems a tedious task.
Says Roopa P., a wealth manager in a bank, “I guess packing lunch for my little one at school is a matter of concern and that is why most mothers do it. I have found many of my colleagues have just enough time to get ready and come to office in the morning with breakfast and lunch at office, and have just about enough time to prepare one meal in the evening. This is of course until children come on the scene.”
For Vikas S., a content manager, who also runs a business: “I am generally on the move. So it is a matter of convenience to eat at a restaurant. In addition, sometimes I have to leave as early as 8.30 a.m., so where is the question of expecting people at home to give me packed boxes when there is barely enough time to prepare breakfast?”
If people are thronging Darshinis and other small restaurants between 12 and 2 p.m., fine dining restaurants also find many takers for their executive lunch buffets.
Talking about pros and cons of eating out versus packed lunch boxes, nutritionist and dietician at Manipal Specialty Hospital Sreemathy Venkataraman says: “One should be careful about hygiene as most people are prone to burning sensation or food poisoning which could be due to rice cooked with soda or oil that is not fresh. However, one can make an outside lunch a healthy one, provided you are eating at the right place. Cleanliness cannot be overlooked and try and see if you can order a fruit bowl or salad and have a light meal with lassi. As most people are hard pressed for time, they can at least make an effort of carrying a fruit like a banana or an apple to office.”
Venkatraman adds: “Food taken from home is always according to one’s taste. One can, however, try and minimise the ill effects of eating out by choosing the right food.”
It’s not that people are not aware of healthy eating habits, but convenience seems to have an upper hand in comparison to everyday, healthy eating options.
Hope the day of modern lifestyle does not dictate all three meals at restaurants.
Hot options
Time is a major constraint
Carrying a packed lunch can be a messy affair and it would be cold by the time of eating as opposed to hot food at a restaurant
Eating out is all right as long as you watch out for hygiene and make healthy choices