Remember the days of grabbing a sandwich, crisps, and a drink for under £3? Those meal deals were the epitome of simplicity—cheap, filling, and utterly forgettable. Lunch was just... done. But here's where it gets controversial: nowadays, you’re looking at £15 salads and £7 baguettes. When did eating at your desk become a luxury? Let’s dive into this baffling shift in lunchtime economics.
I recently found myself in a Pret a Manger, staring at a lineup of salads priced around £15. Fifteen pounds! These weren’t just salads; they were virtuous, plentiful, and seemingly worth every penny—until you realize there’s no drink, no snack, and no acknowledgment that this is supposed to be a quick midday fuel-up. What’s going on here?
This isn’t just Pret’s doing. High-end salad spots like atis, Honest Greens, and even Robuchon’s deli bar are charging premium prices for what used to be a humble meal. Whole Foods’ build-your-own salad bar seems reasonable at £2.40 per 100g—until your bowl hits 400g, then 600g, and suddenly you’re staring at a £14 bill. The Salad Project, with its £20 salads, has queues snaking around the block. And this is the part most people miss: this isn’t a niche trend for health enthusiasts; it’s a booming economy.
Here’s the kicker: the best-value salad bar in central London might just be in the basement of Fortnum & Mason, where £10 still gets you a mountain of roast meat, grains, and veggies. Wellness, but with change to spare. It’s all about treatonomics—a term that perfectly captures this shift. Millennials like me were once scolded for £5 flat whites and avocado toast, but now £15 lunches are the norm. Fifteen pounds a day, five days a week? That’s nearly £4,000 a year. ‘Treat days’ are no longer occasional; they’re the default.
Salads have evolved. Gone are the days of limp leaves and overcooked chicken. Today’s bowls are roasted, spiced, and dressed to impress. Sweet potatoes caramelized, kale massaged, and chia seeds sprinkled. According to Waitrose’s 2025 Food & Drink Report, fibre, fat, and carbs are making a comeback. In this context, £15 salads seem less absurd—people are investing in health over pints at the pub or fast fashion.
But here’s the controversial question: how healthy are these lunches really? Take Pret’s £14.95 miso salmon salad. It’s packed with nutrients but clocks in at 761 calories, 47.1g of fat, and 43.4g of carbs. For those raised on low-fat, low-carb diets, that’s a heart attack in a bowl. atis’ High Steaks bowl isn’t much lighter, with 735 calories and nearly 50g of fat. These aren’t light lunches; they’re dense, serious meals disguised as health food.
Nutritionist Jo Travers argues the issue isn’t the bowls themselves, but their distorted portions. ‘We’re fed massive portions we don’t need,’ she says. This explains the familiar 3pm slump—too many carbs, too few veggies. Her rule of thumb? A fist-sized portion of grains is plenty. Anything more, and blood sugar spikes.
The health halo around these salads is tricky. They’re made from whole foods, which feels good, but when ingredients stop resembling their natural state—like extruded pea protein—the halo fades. Salad bars, however, generally stay on the right side of this line, offering variety and gut-friendly nutrients.
Hybrid working plays a role too. Fewer office days mean fewer bought lunches, so people splurge when they do. But this removes the constraints that once kept lunch affordable. Now, lunch costs £15 and weighs half a kilo—not because we’re greedy, but because health, value, and indulgence have blurred into one.
Pret once faced backlash for a £7.13 cheddar and pickle baguette, but now they’re confidently selling £15 salads. Clearly, salad economics are thriving. What’s disappeared isn’t the meal deal, but the idea of a normal lunch: affordable, filling, and healthy enough. Here’s the question for you: Is this new era of luxe lunches a step forward in health and convenience, or have we lost sight of what lunch should be? Let’s discuss in the comments!
