I don't know about the preferences of the parent you're replying to, however the description in this article - and what others here have said - sounds depressing as hell.

You're being strongly downvoted because you're not allowed to say anything negative about Scandinavian culture.

If this food story were about the US, it would be held up as an example of how Americans are tortured in their food choices (read any popular thread on HN about American food); and in your example, in their work habits (sit there and eat your sad little sandwich, worker robot). Since it's Norway, it's an extraordinary shared cultural culinary experience in its wisely barren, enlightened simplicity of nothingness. As the article comically exclaims: it's unexpectedly genius.

No, it's perfectly fair to call it out for what it actually is: depressing, a sad tradition of mediocre sandwich lunches.