Deskfast Day

Quick facts
When is it?	Every April 12th
What's the official website?	Deskfast Day
It's also known as:	National Deskfast Day
Tagged as:	Food & Drink Jobs & Professions
What are the hashtags?	#deskfast #DeskfastDay #NationalDeskfastDay
When was it founded?	2021
Who founded it?	A Better Breakfast
We first published this page on:	Dec 23rd, 2017
We last updated this page:	Mar 16th, 2026

Contents

What with our careers being more important than ever to us these days, a new trend has begun to dominate the workplace—ladies and gentlemen, we present to you: the deskfast.

What is the deskfast, you may ask? The word deskfast is an amalgamation of two words: desk and breakfast, meaning deskfast is the first meal of your day eaten at your desk at work.

Deskfast Day Timeline

1920s–1930s

Rise of the office worker and desk-based routines

The expansion of white‑collar employment in the early 20th century, particularly clerical and office jobs in cities, creates a new daily pattern in which workers increasingly eat hurried meals on the way to or at their desks rather than at home.

1960s–1970s

Breakfast on the go becomes a mass-market idea

Food companies and advertisers in the United States and Europe begin heavily marketing convenience breakfasts, including instant cereals and breakfast bars, reflecting and reinforcing a culture where workers often eat quickly at work or during their commute rather than sitting down at home.

1980s

Longer hours culture spreads in finance and professional services

Deregulation and globalization fuel “workaholic” office cultures, especially in financial centers like London and New York, where early-morning trading and long hours prompt many white‑collar employees to eat their first meal at the office instead of at home.

1999

“Desktop dining” identified as a growing trend

The American Dietetic Association reports that more than half of U.S. workers eat lunch and snacks at their desks, coining the phrase “desktop dining” and warning about both health risks and opportunities to improve nutrition for people who habitually eat meals while working.

2003

Research links breakfast skipping with busy work schedules

A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition finds that many adults skip breakfast due to time pressure and work demands, highlighting how modern office schedules push the first meal of the day into the workplace or lead to it being missed entirely.

2008–2010

Recession intensifies “breakfast at the desk” behavior

Following the global financial crisis, European and North American surveys document employees working longer hours and taking fewer breaks, with many reporting that they now eat breakfast while already at their desks to save time and signal commitment to their jobs.

2014

UK survey finds workers commonly eat breakfast at their desks

A poll by the British Heart Foundation reports that nearly two-thirds of UK office workers regularly eat breakfast and lunch at their desks, citing heavy workloads and a desire to appear hardworking, and raises concerns about sedentary behavior and unhealthy snacking at work.

How to Celebrate Deskfast Day

Enjoy Breakfast at Your Desk

If you have an office job and do in fact work at a desk, the best way to celebrate this day would be to enjoy your breakfast at it on Deskfast Day morning.

Get Others Involved

Of course, if you want, you could make an effort to get others involved in your deskfast as well—with one person bringing one thing, and another person bringing something else, you could end up with a very enjoyable picnic-style meal, which will inevitably be a great start to your day.

Increase Deskfast Popularity

A bit of socializing with your coworkers over hot cups of coffee, creamy yogurt, energy-packed muffins and fresh sandwiches could only serve to bring you all a bit closer and improve your cooperation in the future.

Chances are, this kind of deskfast will benefit you and your coworkers on a great many levels.

So why not take part in this ever more popular trend by celebrating Deskfast Day this year?

History of Deskfast Day

Unsurprisingly, the fad for eating breakfast at your desk in front of your computer came into existence around the same time as the European economy went into recession in 2008.

Many people who simply feared for their jobs found they needed to spend more time at work if they wanted to keep them, and so they began working longer hours.

Deskfast Day seems to have been more actively promoted by the UK organization called A Better Breakfast. The event was first promoted by them in 2021 and has been sponsored and celebrated annually ever since.

Coming into the office earlier and leaving later, these people needed to find a new breakfast solution so they could avoid getting up extra early just to manage to have a bite to eat in the morning, and the deskfast was born.

At the beginning, the deskfast was widely criticized by dieticians, nutritionists, and even physicians, who claimed eating breakfast while slowly starting work in the morning was somehow bad for your body by putting too much stress on it at the very time it should be slowly gearing up for the day.

Soon, however, it became apparent that deskfasts were often much healthier than the breakfasts employees would have eaten at home—because you can hardly eat a bowl of cereal or syrup-drenched pancakes over your keyboard without dripping milk, syrup or grease everywhere, deskfasts tend to be much lower in fat than traditional breakfasts.

Fruit smoothies, for example, are a popular deskfast choice, and what could be better for your body than a banana and a few strawberries blended together? In all honesty, nutritionists etc. are still not huge fans of the deskfast, but they are not nearly as opposed as they were at the beginning, either.

At first, nutritionists were appalled by the idea of not eating breakfast at home, but as time went on, it turned out that thanks to deskfasts, people were eating less sugary cereals jam-packed with preservatives and sodium and more decidedly healthy things, like sandwiches, breakfast muffins or porridge.

And needless to say, eating your breakfast at work is definitely better than skipping this most important of meals entirely!

Facts About Deskfast Day

Breakfast Skewed Toward the Workplace

Time-use surveys suggest that a sizable share of adults now eat breakfast away from home, often at work or on the move.

For example, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show that among working-age adults who eat breakfast, about one in five consume it away from home, reflecting longer commutes, early start times, and the growth of office-based work with on-site food options.

Breakfast and Cognitive Performance at Work

Controlled studies indicate that eating breakfast can improve attention, working memory, and executive function, especially in the late morning, which matters for desk-based workers handling complex tasks.

A systematic review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adults who regularly eat breakfast tend to perform better on tests of cognitive function than those who habitually skip it.

Skipping Breakfast and Metabolic Health

Habitually skipping breakfast has been linked in large cohort studies with higher risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, outcomes that occupational health programs increasingly flag for desk-bound employees.

A prospective study of over 4,000 adults in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that breakfast skippers had a significantly higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease compared with regular breakfast eaters, even after adjusting for lifestyle factors.

From Farmhouse Meal to Office Habit

Breakfast as a distinct, time-bound meal is a relatively modern construct shaped by industrial work schedules.

Historians note that in preindustrial Europe many people ate intermittently from early morning onward, but the rise of factory and then office work in the 19th and 20th centuries pushed eating into a more rigid pattern, with breakfast squeezed into the period just before or at the start of the workday.

Office Kitchens and the ‘Grab-and-Go’ Culture

The spread of office kitchens, vending machines, and in-house cafés has changed how workers obtain their first meal of the day.

Research from the UK’s Food Standards Agency has found that workplace food environments, including convenience options like microwaves and refrigerators, encourage employees to bring portable items such as yogurt, fruit, and sandwiches, reinforcing the shift toward quick, desk-friendly breakfasts.

Work Hours, Commutes, and Compressed Morning Routines

Longer working hours and lengthy commutes are strongly associated with irregular meal timing and reduced time for breakfast at home.

Studies of European workers have found that those with commutes of 45 minutes or more are significantly more likely to delay or skip breakfast, or to eat it at work, compared with workers whose commute is under 15 minutes.

Hygiene Concerns Around Eating at the Desk

Occupational health guidance often cautions about hygiene when meals are eaten at computer workstations.

The UK’s National Health Service notes that desks, keyboards, and phones can harbor high bacteria levels and recommends workers wash hands before eating, regularly clean surfaces, and avoid leaving perishable foods unrefrigerated, particularly when meals are routinely consumed at the desk.

Deskfast Day FAQs

Is eating breakfast at a desk unhealthy compared with eating at home?

Health effects depend more on what and how a person eats than on the physical location.

Research consistently finds that eating a balanced breakfast that includes whole grains, protein, and fruit is linked with better concentration and overall diet quality, whether it is eaten at home or at work.

Potential downsides of “desk eating” come from distractions, rushed eating, and prolonged sitting, which can encourage overeating and digestive discomfort.

Practicing mindful eating, taking short movement breaks, and choosing nutrient‑dense foods can help make a desk breakfast just as healthy as one eaten at the kitchen table.

Does multitasking at a computer while eating affect digestion or appetite?

Studies on distracted and “mindless” eating show that when people focus on screens or work tasks during meals, they tend to eat more, feel less satisfied, and remember less about what they consumed, which can contribute to weight gain over time.

Distraction may also lead to eating too quickly, which can worsen reflux or bloating in some people.

Experts recommend minimizing screens, slowing down, and paying attention to hunger and fullness cues, even if eating at a desk, to support healthier digestion and appetite control.

What kinds of breakfast foods travel well and are appropriate for eating at a desk?

Foods that are easy to transport, not messy, and nutritionally balanced work best for a desk breakfast.

Dietitians often suggest items like overnight oats in a jar, yogurt with fruit and nuts, whole‑grain toast or muffins, hard‑boiled eggs, nut butter and fruit, or premade smoothies.

These options provide fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which help keep energy and concentration steady through the morning, and they can be eaten neatly without needing extensive kitchen equipment.

Can regularly eating breakfast at a desk increase the risks of a sedentary lifestyle?

The main health concern is not the desk breakfast itself but the pattern of spending long periods seated with few breaks.

Prolonged sitting has been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature mortality, even in people who exercise.

If someone eats at their desk and then remains seated for hours, this adds to total sedentary time.

Health agencies recommend breaking up sitting every 30 to 60 minutes with brief standing or walking and aiming for regular physical activity to counteract these risks.

How does sharing breakfast or coffee breaks with colleagues affect workplace relationships?

Psychology and management research suggests that shared informal meals and coffee breaks can strengthen social bonds, build trust, and improve communication among coworkers.

Eating together creates opportunities for informal conversation, which can make collaboration smoother and can increase a sense of belonging at work.

Some studies have found that teams that regularly share meals report higher levels of cohesion and cooperation than those that rarely do so.

Is skipping breakfast worse than grabbing something quick to eat at the desk?

For many adults, regularly skipping breakfast is associated with higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, although individual needs vary.

Health organizations generally advise that a modest, balanced breakfast is preferable to skipping entirely, even if it is eaten at a desk.

A simple combination such as fruit with yogurt, a small sandwich on whole‑grain bread, or oatmeal with nuts can provide enough energy and nutrients to support morning concentration and blood sugar control better than having nothing at all.

How can someone make a desk breakfast more “mindful” and less stressful?

Mindful eating practices can be adapted to a busy office setting by adding small, intentional habits.

Experts suggest stepping away from active work tasks for at least a few minutes, silencing notifications, and focusing on the sensory aspects of the meal, such as taste and texture.

Taking time to chew thoroughly, putting utensils down between bites, and checking in with hunger and fullness can reduce stress and help prevent overeating. Even a brief, tech‑free breakfast pause at the desk can support better mental focus and enjoyment.