Working 5 – 9, not a way for healthy eating!

Sainsbury’s launches healthy overnight drive-through, as shift workers have the unhealthiest diets in the UK

• Night shift workers suffer the most, with 79% saying unhealthy eating patterns are made worse by overnight working
• Sainsbury’s first-ever drive-through, the ‘Flourish Fuelling Station’ opens on Wednesday 25th in London Colney, providing FREE hot and healthy meals from its new Flourish health range
• Night shift workers are almost twice as likely to cite a lack of access to healthy hot food as a key reason for their poor diet, compared to those working 9-5 who also said their diets were unhealthy
• Security guards and taxi drivers struggle to maintain the healthiest diets, according to Sainsbury’s research

Shift workers have the unhealthiest diets in the UK, according to new research from Sainsbury’s, with professions such as security guards and taxi drivers topping the list.

Working the night shift is when diets particularly suffer, with over three quarters (79%) saying unhealthy cravings increase during overnight working. What’s more, night shift workers with unhealthy diets are almost twice as likely to struggle to find healthy hot food options, compared to their 9-5 counterparts who also said their diets were unhealthy. As a result, they’re spending an average of £86 a month on fast food during their shifts, with a quarter (26%) admitting to eating takeaways at work three times a week. It comes as a further 1 in 10 (10%) feel unclear on what makes a balanced, healthy meal.

The new research from Sainsbury’s revealed almost a quarter (23%) of night shift workers are likely to skip a meal and more than one in 10 (16%) admit there are some weeks they don’t consume any fruits and vegetables. That’s why the supermarket has launched the ‘Flourish Fuelling Station’, providing hot and healthy meals from its new Flourish range for free during unsociable hours. The complete range features over 65 products, each packed with health benefits, with prices ranging from £1 to £4.

Over a third (37%) of night shift workers with poor diets claim unhealthy food being easier to access is one of the main culprits for these eating habits. Other factors to blame include not having enough time to prepare meals in advance (29%), and lack of facilities to prepare meals at work (29%). As a result, they are relying on unhealthy snacks (29%), caffeine and sugar (26%) during working hours.

The top five foods that shift workers reach for when at work are:

1. Sandwich (43%)
2. Crisps (40%)
3. Chocolate (35%)
4. Biscuits (32%)
5. Chips (30%)

These unhealthy habits left shift workers wanting to improve their diets in 2023, with over half (57%) pledging to do so as part of their New Year’s resolutions. Yet a fifth (21%) have already broken the promise, with the average doing so by January 5th.

In a bid to help solve the problem and get Britain’s shift workers eating healthy again, Sainsbury’s has today launched its first-ever drive-through. Accessible for walk ups, the Flourish Fuelling Station will provide FREE healthy meals from its new Flourish health range, open overnight. Given a fifth (20%) of night shift workers wish they could get access to a hot healthy meal on-the-go, customers will be able to get their hands on products from the new range; from hot prepared meals to salads, snacks, smoothies and more, all of which have a wide variety of health benefits.

Claire Hughes, Sainsbury’s Director of Product and Innovation, commented: “It is a shame that night shift workers don’t have the same access to healthy, balanced meals as those working a regular 9 to 5, particularly as these eating habits are causing them to feel tired, whilst not keeping them full.

“We hope that Sainsbury’s new Flourish range will help to address that, with the Fuelling Station offering the chance to try nutritious options for free. Flourish has been developed as a positive approach to health, created alongside chefs and nutritionists. The range is all about delicious food with healthy ingredients that support a balanced diet.  We hope it makes it easier not just for shift workers, but for everyone to find solutions for convenient healthy eating.”

The Flourish Fuelling Station will be open for three nights only; Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th and Friday 27th January from 17:00 to 08:00 each day at the Sainsbury’s Petrol Station, London Colney, St Albans AL2 1AB. If successful, Sainsbury’s may explore providing further solutions to offer hot food options during unsociable hours in the future.

Visitors will be able to try the likes of Sainsbury’s Flourish Mexican Style Beef Chilli, a high source of protein and fibre which also includes two of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. The menu will also include a range of nutritious smoothies, which are packed with B vitamins and provide two of the recommended five a day. The full available menu is as follows, while stocks last:

Main Meals

Hot

•  Sainsbury’s Flourish Jerk Chicken with Coconut Rice
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Mexican Style Beef Chilli
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Salmon with New Potatoes & Veg Medley
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Italian Style Roasted Vegetable Pot (V)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Roast Butternut Squash Risotto (V)

Cold

• Sainsbury’s Flourish Vegan Bhaji & Rainbow Slaw Salad (Ve)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Veggie Garden Frittata (V)

Snacks

• Sainsbury’s Flourish Chickpea & Black Pepper Crackers (V)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Beetroot Houmous (Ve)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Gut Health Yogurt (V)

Drinks

• Sainsbury’s Flourish Energise Infusion Tea (Ve)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Calm Infusion Tea (Ve)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Energy Smoothie (Ve)
• Sainsbury’s Flourish Mind Smoothie (Ve)