According to a lunchtime eating habits survey, recently conducted by the National Cheese Institute (NCI), a true lunch 'hour' is now considered to be a luxury, with the average person downing their lunch in just 24 minutes.
The food most often found in lunch boxes is cheese, and this is usually eaten in a sandwich. The survey revealed that 41% of the respondents make this calcium-rich food a part of their daily mid-day meal. Cheddar is the cheese of choice, preferred by 45% of those surveyed, trailed by Swiss (38%) and American (33%) cheeses.
'Selecting convenient and healthful foods for lunch, like cheese, is the way to maintain a well-balanced diet on-the-go,' said Ruth Carey, registered dietitian. 'Cheese is so popular because it's easy to grab in a fix and provides powerful nutrients like calcium and protein needed on a daily basis.'
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| At Lunchtime Make Sure You... |  |
- Take a break
- Eat nutritiously
- Don't eat quickly
- Get an energy boost
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| What's a Nutritious Lunch? | |
- Achieving a good balance between food groups
- One that's low in fat
- One that's high in vitamins and nutrients
- One that's low in calories
Explorer
Likes to try something 'new' for lunch.
Predictable
Likes to have the same thing every day.
Grazer
Likes to eat lots of little snacks.
- Men are almost twice as predictable as women when choosing lunch.
- The majority of women business executives spend over 30 minutes eating lunch.
- The most popular reason people eat cheese for lunch is because it 'tastes good'.
- More Americans want to have a 'power lunch' with Tom Hanks than with any other celebrity1.
1. Life / Food & Drink / Dairy, Eggs and Honey
