The traditional lunch hour is disappearing fast from workplaces across Europe, claims a new report from market research firm Datamonitor.
As working hours become more flexible, people are instead eating two or three times a day while at work, according to the study.
"Lunch is no longer as dominant a part of workplace consumption as it once was, with consumers nowadays often as interested in a supplement to a hurried breakfast or a late-night snack to keep energy levels up," the report says.
"Even on average working days, a large midday meal is no longer a common option. Instead, snacking throughout the day is becoming more popular - the average consumer eats between two and three times during and eight-hour working day, partly due to the increasing presence of microwaves and fridges in the modern office," adds Andrew Russell, Datamonitor consumer markets analyst and author of the report.
People in the UK spend the most on food and drink for the workplace. This is because of a culture that places less emphasis on the social aspects of workplace lunches, the report claims.
The French, Spanish and Italians are more likely to go to restaurants and cafés for lunch, while Germans, Dutch and Swedes prefer to use their workplace canteens.