Lunch no more

“My office starts late in the morning,at 11am,and I need to be active and productive during my working hours. As such,I start my day with a heavy breakfast and have only a few snacks for lunch,” says Siddhart Nivsarkar,who works in an IT company in Hinjewadi.

Nivsarkar has quite a lot of company. Many follow the same theory and have just a few snacks in the afternoon,if not skipping food completely. Jay Anand Tripathi,a media professional says,“A heavy meal in the afternoon becomes tedious,and a liability. A full stomach and the listless heat of the afternoon are wont to produce drowsiness,which is unacceptable during working hours. Thus,I prefer to have just a samosa or a sandwich in the afternoon and I’m not really fussed even if I don’t eat altogether.”

However,not the entire city feels this way. Damayanti Raje Bhosale,owner of the boutique Araliya in Koregaon Park feels she could only do so if she were working out of her own workspace. “Not having lunch would work if you are constantly on the field and have an out and about sort of a job,” she says.

However,some people simply prefer not having lunch. Rahul Mahajan,who works in a law firm says,“A good,hearty breakfast keeps me active from morning to evening,while a heavy dinner takes away all hunger pangs at night. Lunch,under those circumstances,becomes useless.”

Everyone seems to be justifying their stance. Tripathi says,“Not having lunch keeps one active and alert about one’s job,otherwise,one tends to get lazy.”

However,it could also be a simple case of India,yet again,aping the West. “I have lived abroad for many years,and this is how they used to have their meals – a heavy breakfast and dinner,with nothing,or just a light lunch,thrown in between. I have gotten used to that system,and it is very convenient for me thus I continue to follow it. However,because of the increasing influence of the West in our country,I feel people are skipping a proper lunch,” concludes Nivsarkar.