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What You Should Be Eating for Lunch, According to Your Job

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVA chapter.

When lunch time rolls around, we all have habits that we tend to stick to. What you do for a living says a lot about your personality and your eating habits. Have you ever wondered what each profession eats for lunch?

Take a look at this (extremely stereotypical) roundup to see what people in each profession eat during their lunch break.

Biologists – Salad

lunch

Photo by Kavitha George

A biologist eats a gigantic salad with literally everything on it. They could tell you what vitamin or micronutrient each topping has and what it does in the body.

Lawyers – Overly Complicated Sandwich

lunch

Photo by Nicole Lacasse

A lawyer goes to the nearby sandwich shop, orders a super complicated sandwich, checks to make sure it’s exactly right, then gives it back and argues that it’s wrong. I probably wouldn’t argue back if I worked at that sandwich shop.

Graphic Designers – Açaí Bowl

lunch

Photo by Carolyn Chin

Chances are, graphic designers are probably millennials, so they’ll have something trendy like a smoothie bowl. Chia seeds, kale and agave are most likely involved. They’ll probably post an Instagram photo as well.

Surgeons – Steak

lunch

Photo by Joyce Zhan

A steak requires a lot of cutting, and it requires some time and patience to eat. Sometimes, there’s even a little bit of blood. This is the surgeon’s ideal meal.

Elementary School Teachers – Apple

lunch

Photo by Maggie Gorman

This is kind of an obvious joke… apples. All the apples. Probably on the side of a sandwich or salad.

Police Officers – Burger With Donut Bun

lunch

Photo courtesy of Phil Denton on flickr.com

Just a plain burger? Nah. A donut? No, they had that for breakfast. A burger with a donut bun? Of course.

Dietitians – All Food Groups

lunch

Photo courtesy of nomnompaleo.com

Dietitians pack a really organized boxed lunch. Every macronutrient is accounted for… carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Professors – Bagel

lunch

Photo by Emma Nosseir

Professors like to head to the local bagel shop in between lectures to immerse themselves in campus culture – and to people watch the student body.

Nurses – Granola Bars

lunch

Photo by Alanna Schloss

Nurses never get a chance to sit down, so the only food they are able to eat is something that can be eaten on-the-go, AKA granola bars and bananas.

Writers – Ramen

lunch

Photo by Caitlin Wolper

Writers don’t have brain power to waste on making an elaborate lunch. What if they break their writer’s block? Lunch is best eaten at their computer, consisting of coffee and ramen.

Artists – Hummus

lunch

Photo by Keni Lin

A hummus platter is full of different colors and it reminds artists of their art palette. Fruits and vegetables are also so easy to make food art with.

Dentists – Yogurt Parfait

lunch

Photo courtesy of Anne Piccolo on flickr.com

A yogurt parfait with plain yogurt. Yogurt is rich in calcium and other vitamins that keep our teeth strong. The plain yogurt minimizes the sugar intake to help avoid cavities. No one wants a dentist with cavities. Yikes.

Pilots – Au Bon Pain

lunch

Photo by Katie Zizmor

Pilots and flight attendants eat lunch at Au Bon Pain. Probably only because this seems like it is at almost every airport and it’s one of their only options.

Architects – Pretzels

lunch

Photo by Emily Gordon

My guess is that architects have a bag of pretzel sticks or something similar at their desks. After all, they can build stuff with them and get creative. In addition to the pretzel sticks, some cheese cubes and other foods that resemble building blocks may be involved.

Social Workers – Chipotle

lunch

Photo by Heather Harris

Social workers are dependable, patient and self-aware. They probably eat good ol’ dependable Chipotle for lunch, because they are patient enough to wait in line and know exactly what they want in their order.

Government Employees – Hot Dog

lunch

Photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

What could get more American than a hot dog? Obviously these civil servants are going to eat the most patriotic foods for lunch.

Or, if they’re like Leslie Knope, they eat waffles.

Military Officers – Grilled Chicken

lunch

Photo by Alex Weiner

Military officers are probably very physically fit and eat for those gains. Being in the military requires a lot of physical demands, so eating for optimal physical fitness is a must, which translates to grilled chicken, veggies and a whole grain.

Film Directors – Muffins

lunch

Photo courtesy of Richard Lewis on flickr.com

Those big tables of food on movie sets always seem to have endless supplies of muffins and bagels. In between scenes, film directors reach for one of those giant muffins with butter for a sugar fix.

Environmental Scientists – Broccoli

lunch

Photo by Julie West

Environmental scientists will eat something green and something that reminds them of trees: broccoli. They pack it in a reusable container, of course, and they might pair it with free-range chicken and some herbal tea.

Marketers – Panera Bread

lunch

Photo courtesy of @panerabread on Instagram

Marketers are in all kinds of different industries, but if they’re in the marketing department for a certain food brand, they are probably eating that product to show off all of their hard work. For example, Panera Bread Corporate marketers are going to eat soup in a bread bowl.

Finance – Krabby Patty

lunch

Photo by Natalie Choy

People in finance, accounting and sales are all about the money, just like Mr. Krabs. What’s his favorite food, you ask? A Krabby Patty, duh. Learn how to make a krabby patty here.

Computer Programmers – Takeout

lunch

Photo courtesy of inazakira on flickr.com

Computer programmers never leave their computers, so they’re going to eat something quick and easy for lunch. This translates to Chinese takeout from the closest and fastest Chinese restaurant.

Journalists – Food Carts

lunch

Photo by Nguyen Le

Journalists are always on the run, traveling across the the United States and even the globe. Since they never have the time to stop and eat, food carts are their domain. And what’s better than a culturally diverse cart such as one dishing out gyros?

Engineers – Pizza

lunch

Photo by Libby Perold

Engineers eat pizza for a few reasons. The triangular shape of the slices reminds them of angles and the pie nature of the pizza reminds them of 3.14. They probably invented a contraption that feeds them the pizza while they continue working.

So… am I right or am I right?

Cailin is a fourth year at the University of Virginia with a love for both veggies and dessert. Everything in moderation, folks.