Your attitude is exactly the point. In many other countries, they _would_ spend their time packing a box lunch. As an American by birth, I didn't understand this either until I went abroad. At first, it was simply shocking how much time/effort went into food preparation/consumption. But over time, I came to appreciate (and missed upon my return) the much more nuanced approach taken to cuisine in some other countries.
In India, the male worker doesn't have to spend his time. It's the wife/mother that does it. Even if the woman works, it's assumed she'll cook 3 hot meals a day.
