Office workers ‘egged on’ to continue ‘breakfasting like kings’

Nutritionists have warned that a return to ‘normal’ working practices could lead to a spike in weight gain for millions of office workers who fall prey to their pre-pandemic eating habits at breakfast time and are seduced by calorie-laden coffee house lattes and sandwich shop treats.

Retail sales of ‘nutrient powerhouse’ eggs rocketed during lockdown, up by around 1bn on pre-pandemic levels, with many newly home-based workers opting for home-cooked, egg-based breakfasts in lieu of skipping the first meal of the day or opting for more processed foods.  Nutritionists say that eating eggs for breakfast may have improved the health of a sizeable proportion of the population and helped them to lose weight by resisting calorie-laden mid-morning snacks. 

Consultant nutritionist, Cat Macdonald, said: “Nutritional behaviour can be hard to change, but during lockdown, millions of people switched their usual sugary breakfast choice for much healthier eggs.  
“We know from a large body of research that eggs are especially satiating; eating an egg-based breakfast can reduce the desire to eat a huge amount at the following meal, compared to, for instance, a breakfast of a croissant or cereal.  Put simply, if you’re eating eggs for breakfast*, you will likely eat less calories for lunch - great news for the waistline.

“However, there’s a danger that returning to the office will mean a return to the bad habits of old. The urge to pick-up an ‘on the go’ carb rich, protein poor breakfast, such as a breakfast muffin, can be tempting. Conversely, choosing a protein rich breakfast, based on eggs, for instance, can mean that the mid-morning munchies are much less likely to appear. As they take just a few minutes to cook, and can even be done in the microwave, eggs can easily be incorporated into the pre-work routine.”  

A spokesperson for the British Egg Industry Council, said: “Research shows that many of the extra eggs sold during lockdown were used in cooked breakfasts.  Not only is this great news for egg producers but it’s also nutritionally beneficial for the millions of workers who have been eating them.  

“Eggs are super quick to cook, so hopefully the throngs of returning office workers will make time in the morning to stick to their healthier routine, maintain their improved habits and not revert to pre-pandemic poor choices.”