Dining à la car? Brits eating habits revealed in new research

In 2020, a TikTok by @marialenopara went viral when she showcased her “hack” for eating fast food takeaways, such as McDonalds, in the car.

Since the pandemic, the restrictions placed on dining inside and the British weather have led to many people eating more regularly in their vehicles. Asda Money has surveyed 2,000 UK drivers to find out how often people stop to eat in their vehicles, which professions eat in their vehicle the most, as well as what they typically eat.

Over 60 per cent admit to eating in their vehicle (when parked up), with 42 per cent eating in their vehicle at least once a week and 11 per cent doing this daily. Lunch is the most common meal to eat in a vehicle (42%) with most drivers most likely to choose takeaway food (43%).

Residents in the city of Glasgow are the most likely to eat in their vehicle, with 75 per cent eating in their car at least once a month. Perhaps this is due to the city having the highest number of drive-through restaurants in the UK – 48 in total!

When it comes to Brits’ jobs, nearly half of electricians (45%) eat in their car at least once a day, followed by one third of plumbers and one quarter of lawyers and recruiters.

Top five food types that people eat in their car, van or lorry:

Sandwich (38%)
Burger (32%)
Fish & chips (15%)
Fried chicken (14%)
Pizza (11%)