Commentary

Commuter food trends for 2022, and how vending can improve employees’ lives

Healthy vending solutions at work allow commuters to have health-conscious foods and lunches that they will keep coming back to.

Image provided by iStock.

March 7, 2022 by Sam Roberts — Digital Marketing Manager, Connect Vending

Most people who are reading this blog by now are heading back to the office. The first thing you want when you're commuting to work is food on the go that's healthy and affordable. That can be difficult if your job requires a lot of travel, which can end up in eating unhealthy food during the day.

With the pandemic nearing its final stages, have food choices for commuters changed since COVID? It's important that when you are heading to the office that the food you eat while commuting gives you the energy to get through the day.

Vending machines are a great option when it comes to providing office workers with plenty of options to eat on their commute. For commuters, combining healthy and vending may not be the best combination at first, but healthy vending solutions allow them to have health-conscious foods and lunches that they will keep coming back to.

Now is a good time to consider the latest commuter food trends for 2022 and how they will shape the way commuters eat when heading to and from the office.

The days of office workers going to the office five days a week are a thing of the past with the emergence of hybrid working. This shift in how people work has had a big impact on people as they are commuting less into city centers, which has affected cafes and coffee shops that rely on those types of workers to keep their businesses afloat.

When it comes to the latest food trends, here's a few that commuters are tapping into while commuting into the office.

Sustainability

Climate change remains a hot topic for the food industry. Commuters are more conscious about not just the packaging of sandwiches and pasta boxes, but also the ingredients that make up their lunch. The rise of plant-based food has meant that there are more meat-free options available for commuters to choose from that are tasty and kinder to the planet.

Many of today's vending machines are built with sustainability in mind, making them an attractive choice for an office.

Supply chain issues

Disruption with supply chains remains an issue, particularly when it comes to finding healthy foods to eat for lunch. Factories are under pressure with just-in-time, cross-border operations to keep the daily staples of sandwiches, salads and wraps stocked not just in supermarkets, but also in coffee shops and cafes too.

Pros of current commuter trends

The current food commuter trends that are happening at the moment have plenty of positives, not just for commuters, but for food companies too. Here are a few positives that are currently going on for commuters with food:

The rise of functional food during the pandemic has meant that commuters are seeking options that promote healthy lifestyles, rather than go for a bag of crisps.
Better quality ingredients for lunches and snacks — the focus towards healthier products means that commuters will have more climate-friendly options available in cafes and sandwich shops to choose from.

Cons of commuter trends

Cons related to current food trends for commuters are as follows.

Unhealthy snacking. Rather than eating a piece of fruit, most commuters go for a sugary option (chocolate), which makes you more exhausted throughout the day.
Expense. The money spent on that lifestyle could be used elsewhere.
New food regulations for salt, fat and sugar content. Food companies will need to make their food products healthier for commuters.

For office managers, there are several advantages to providing food vending machines for workers at the office. Not only is a vending machine for food easy to manage, but by having an option available for workers to stay in the office with fresh food means employees can save both time and money.

Other benefits of having vending machines in the office include:

Vending machines can make workers more productive by saving time getting their meals.
They can reduce the stress of having to wait in a manual cafeteria for meals.

Vending is a healthy option for employees who do not want to spend more on sandwiches, pasta bowls and salads from the nearest cafe or deli shop.

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