Everyday life / Work lunch
Work lunches: compare packed lunches, eating out and ComFoo
What works where you work? Compare three lunch routes, calculate the week and choose a regular lunch and a backup.
Read the guide
A work lunch needs to fit the location and break. A shake is not automatically cheaper or better than a packed lunch or eating out. Compare your actual food, the full purchase and what the lunch location requires.
Which lunch works where you work?
Is there refrigeration for food you bring, a microwave when the dish needs heating, clean water for powder and somewhere to wash up? Is there somewhere to sit down, or do you want to eat with colleagues elsewhere? Answer these questions before comparing prices.
You can choose several solutions in the same week. Leftovers can become a packed lunch one day, eating out a social break another, and powder a backup for a difficult occasion. The aim is a feasible lunch, not for every option to beat the others.
Packed lunch, eating out and powder side by side
| Choice | What needs arranging? | Things that can matter |
|---|---|---|
| Packed lunch | Food at home, transport, refrigeration or other suitable storage, any heating and washing up. | Leftovers, hot food and your own flavours. |
| Eating out | Somewhere to buy and eat, price and any travel time. | A shared break and a change of scene. |
| Powder at the location | Label, clean water and container, mixing and cleaning. | A backup when the location has the right resources. |
Consumption and spending are different
Illustrative example with an invented price: SEK 500 for 20 servings gives SEK 25 per serving before additions. Five occasions use SEK 125 of powder. The first purchase of the full bag costs SEK 500 and leaves 15 servings.
Consumption cost concerns the food you use. Spending concerns whole packages. Shipping applies to the order and is not counted once per serving. Drinks and extras are added to the occasions where they are used.
The calculator's packed lunch price is your ingredient cost per occasion. Purchases of all whole ingredient packages for packed lunches are not included in the packaging calculation. The catalogue price is a dated example; enter your actual price and purchase type.
Count all the work when comparing time
No time study of our own is reported here. Such a comparison needs to include shopping, preparation at home, transport, mixing or heating, and washing up. Measuring only the shaking gives an incomplete picture.
Note the steps for two lunch choices over a few occasions. Write down what failed: a microwave queue, forgotten lid or missing washing facilities. This lets you improve the plan practically. A lower cost does not mean an option gives you the break or food experience you want.
Packing list without a kitchen
- Food whose storage and preparation work according to the labelling.
- Clean water if the food needs mixing.
- A clean container, lid, spoon and anything else the dish requires.
- Cleaning facilities or a plan to take the utensils home.
- A backup that can cope with the resource that may be missing.
Without water, the powder lunch is not ready. Without refrigeration, review what you bring. Without heat, choose a dish that can be eaten without warming; packed lunches do not all need to be the same type.
A regular lunch and a backup
| Day | Main choice | Backup | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| Tuesday | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| Wednesday | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| Thursday | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| Friday | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Lunch with colleagues can be the first choice even when another option has a lower ingredient cost. Describe two difficult occasions more specifically in the everyday plan.
Questions about the lunch calculation
Do zero lunches require an order?
Zero powder occasions give zero bags and no powder shipping in the calculation.
Is milk included automatically?
No. Enter drinks and extras in the additions field.
Which lunch is best?
Add up the costs and review the practical requirements. Taste, a social break and effort remain your own trade-offs.
Sources and supporting information
- ComFoo's product pages – local catalogue information retrieved on 22 September 2026, with each flavour's declaration per 100 g.
Product data: 22 September 2026. Rewrite: 30 September 2026. Our own timing trials are still outstanding. The useful part of the older packed lunch article is collected here.