Poll: All want fast, portable, cheap lunch

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NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- During the week, all U.S. consumers say they want fast, portable and inexpensive lunch options, but baby boomers also want healthy food, a U.S. survey says.

Research conducted for Technomic's Lunch Consumer Trend Report indicates the heaviest users of food service during lunch are millennials -- those ages 18-34 -- and they are also the most likely to frequently use value items as a way to build meals.

"Baby boomers are motivated heavily by value, but other significant motivations include health and quality of food," Sara Monnette, director of consumer research at Technomic, says in a statement. "The most health-conscious consumers skew 45 and older, so their value equation is different than that of a younger person who sees value primarily as a price issue. Older consumers are less likely to perceive value in dollar menu items because of the broader context of their motivations."

Technomic's Lunch Consumer Trend Report also says:

-- On the weekend, lunch-time preferences shift and consumers pay more attention to customization and a fresh preparation than other attributes.

-- Despite many increasingly bringing lunches from home to work, 35 percent surveyed purchase lunch from a restaurant or other food service location at least twice a week.

-- More than half of all consumers indicate they skip lunch at least once a week and about two-thirds say they replace lunch with a snack at least once a week.

The survey involved 1,500 consumers. No further survey details were provided.