Almost a third of Brits are “bored” of their lunch after eating the same dish – four days a week.
A study of 2,000 adults found 31% are tired of having to think of what to eat for their midday meal each day – and, as a result, it’s the nation’s least favourite mealtime.
The most boring lunches were found to be salads (22%), sandwiches (21%) and soups (20%), despite most people eating these each day.
It also emerged adults typically describe their go-to meals as easy (35%), basic (28%) and repetitive (24%).
But many would like them to be more tasty (40%), healthy (36%) and flavoursome (33%).
Anna Beheshti, for Tilda, which commissioned the research to encourage people to elevate their plate when it comes to lunchtime, said: “Our research revealed people are looking for tastier, healthier and more flavoursome lunches – but convenience and time present a barrier to this.
“Lunch doesn’t have to be mundane, just because it's often eaten speedily and alone.
“With a little bit of inspiration, and by incorporating a few small and easy cooking hacks as well as more exciting flavours into your lunchtime routine, you can create a quick and affordable lunch that ticks all of these boxes.”
The study also revealed the typical ingredients found in kitchen cupboards and fridges to throw a lunch together include cheese (22%), cold meats (18%), and salad (18%).
Other leftovers commonly found at home are cooked chicken (15%), eggs (14%) and baked beans (13%).
Worryingly, those polled also predict they currently have an average of three out-of-date products in their kitchen.
This is due to forgetting about the items (30%), not needing all the ingredients for a recipe (23%), and last-minute plans to eat out instead (22%).
The most commonly discarded unfinished, or out of date, products include vegetables (25%), bread (25%), and cooked leftovers (18%).
When it comes to making lunch, priorities were found to be convenience (47%), how healthy it is (36%), and time (35%).
While quick and easy recipes (29%), affordable ingredients (28%), and convenient cooking hacks (20%) would also improve midday meals.
But over a third (34%) struggle to think of what to eat for lunch when they’re at home and not working, while 27% struggle more when they’re in their workplace.
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found an average of just 15 minutes is spent preparing and eating lunch.
Anna Beheshti added: “Given the rising cost of living, we especially want to encourage the nation to create tasty dishes by simply combining ready-to-heat rice packs with what they already have at home and might have forgotten about – from condiments, to leftover meat and vegetables.”
