Edenred's Food Barometer 2025 results

On October 16, we celebrate World Food Day. The purpose of Food Day is to raise awareness about the state of global food security and the importance of a healthy diet. Eating especially during lunch breaksis much more than just a meal; it is the foundation of wellbeing, community, and sustainable living.

Edenred's recent global study, the Food Barometer 2025*, reveals that lunch benefits are one of the most important ways for Finnish employees to take care of these aspects in their daily lives. It helps them maintain energy levels, eat healthier, and cope with rising food prices.

Lunch benefits help ease the effects of rising food prices

As food prices rise, many Finns are considering where and how to eat during their workday. According to Edenred's Food Barometer, 66% of employees would feel their purchasing power decline without lunch benefits, and as many as 81% would dine out less frequently if the benefit were not available.

For many, lunch benefits are equivalent to a pay raise, providing a concrete relief to daily expenses. For employers, it is a small yet significant investment: a healthy and energetic workforce is also more productive and engaged.

In Finland, the popularity of lunch dining is well-established, and employees actively take advantage of the lunch benefits offered by their employers. Lunch benefits support people not only financially but also in making healthy choices – they help individuals eat in a more nutritious and balanced way, says Edenred's workplace expert Laura Lahtinen.

 

Healthy food remains one of the most important criteria for choice

Healthiness is emphasized in this year's barometer as well:

• 80% of employees pay more attention to healthy food.

• 76% of employees expect restaurant food to be healthy.

Lunch benefits support these goals by providing the opportunity to choose fresh and diverse food in lunch restaurants, even when one's budget is tighter. A healthy and nutritious lunch helps maintain energy throughout the workday and supports overall well-being.

Investing in the healthiness of food and utilizing fresh ingredients are trends that have also emerged in previous years. Restaurateurs pay attention to ensuring that it is easy to make good choices in the lunch line that support healthy lifestyles and help maintain energy throughout the workday, Lahtinen says.

Restaurants are increasingly supporting a responsible food culture and taking measures to reduce food waste

At the heart of World Food Day is responsible and sustainable food—and restaurants play an important role in this.

According to the Food Barometer:

• 97% of restaurants are taking active measures to reduce food waste—12 percentage points more than last year's results!

• 48% of restaurants package leftover food for customers or collaborate with food waste apps like ResQ.

• 34% of restaurants repurpose ingredients.

• 90% of restaurants view receiving lunch benefits as a positive aspect of their business operations.

When employees use their lunch benefits at restaurants, they support a responsible food culture and help reduce waste. Every lunch is an action that has significance for both the environment and local businesses.

It is great to see that so many restaurants have incorporated food waste reduction into their operational practices. Compared to last year, minimizing waste has increased, and restaurateurs are increasingly open to utilizing a variety of partners, Lahtinen points out.

Lunch break is an investment in wellbeing

Lunch benefits provide employees not only with a nutritious lunch break but also with a moment to recharge and gather energy for the rest of the day. Research shows that regular lunch breaks improve focus, reduce stress, and support stamina. According to Edenred's barometer:

• 69% of employees feel that lunch benefits reduce stress.

• 64% of employees report that they eat more nutritiously and balanced because of it.

The break is not just a mealtime, but a restorative pause in the workday and a contribution to a healthy company culture. Every lunch is a small action in support of well-being and a sustainable future.

Edenred's recent Food Barometer indicates that lunch benefits support both employee health and responsible eating practices while also alleviating the pressures of rising food prices. Through lunch benefits provided by employers, employees receive a concrete way to take care of their well-being and nutrition, while simultaneously supporting the restaurant industry and sustainable food culture.

*Edenred's Food Barometer 2025 is part of the international FOOD program, which promotes balanced eating habits and assesses people's expectations and habits regarding their diet. The research has been conducted for over 15 years. Several countries participated in the study, including Sweden, Austria, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, and Greece. This year, 854 employees and 58 restaurants from Finland responded to the survey..

See a summary of the results here.