Purpose This study investigates the metaphors individuals use to articulate their experiences eating in workplaces shaped by insalubrious food environments characterized by tensions, limited time for meals and disparaging remarks from coworkers about food choices. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative interview approach was selected to reveal the dimensions of strain experienced by 36 individuals who self-identified as feeling uncomfortable eating in the workplace. Phronetic iterative processes revealed the prevalence of metaphors, leading to a metaphor analysis. Findings Participants describe workplace eating as rife with “Cold War tensions”, feeling unable to “eat with dignity,” amid a “competition,” where coworkers judge conformity to unspoken rules about food, and feelings that eating at work is like a “trap.” These metaphors expose how mundane acts like eating become fraught with tension, as organizational control encroaches on autonomy over personal choices and erodes employee dignity. Research limitations/implications This study extends theory by highlighting how organizational control extends to personal habits in previously unrecognized ways. Additionally, it demonstrates how eating can become grounds for disciplining colleagues' bodies. This study does have a predominantly white sample, with mostly women, offering directions for future research. Practical implications The paper includes implications for dismantling control around eating. Originality/value Extant research primarily analyzes health interventions pertaining to food in the workplace, whereas this study highlights the emotional depth that can come from structural dynamics that inhibit eating or judgment toward eating from coworkers.
Margot E. Plunkett (2026) studied this question.