Cheese and the ever shrinking lunch break.
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Survey Uncovers the Skinny on Lunchtime Activities
The lunch hour is quickly diminishing. According to a lunchtime eating habits survey recently conducted by the National Cheese Institute (NCI), a true lunch "hour" is now considered a luxury, with the average Person downing lunch in just 24 minutes.
The food found most often in lunch boxes is cheese. The survey revealed 41 percent of the respondents incorporate this calcium-rich food into their lunches. Cheddar is the cheese of choice, preferred by 45 percent of those surveyed, trailed by Swiss (38 percent) and American (33 percent).
"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."
Other key findings include:
Typical lunch foods:
1. cheese
2. fruit
3. salad
4. chicken
What's most important at lunchtime:
1. taking a break
2. eating nutritiously
3. eating quickly
4. getting an energy boost
What makes a nutritious meal:
1. balance between food groups
2. low in fat
3. high in vitamins and nutrients
4. low in calories
different styles of eating lunch:
~explorer -- like to try something "new" for lunch
~predictable -- have the same thing every day
~grazer -- eat lots of little snacks
Men are almost twice as PREDICTABLE as women when choosing lunch
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"
The lunch hour is quickly diminishing. According to a lunchtime eating habits survey recently conducted by the National Cheese Institute (NCI), a true lunch "hour" is now considered a luxury, with the average Person downing lunch in just 24 minutes.
The food found most often in lunch boxes is cheese. The survey revealed 41 percent of the respondents incorporate this calcium-rich food into their lunches. Cheddar is the cheese of choice, preferred by 45 percent of those surveyed, trailed by Swiss (38 percent) and American (33 percent).
"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."
Other key findings include:
Typical lunch foods:
1. cheese
2. fruit
3. salad
4. chicken
What's most important at lunchtime:
1. taking a break
2. eating nutritiously
3. eating quickly
4. getting an energy boost
What makes a nutritious meal:
1. balance between food groups
2. low in fat
3. high in vitamins and nutrients
4. low in calories
different styles of eating lunch:
~explorer -- like to try something "new" for lunch
~predictable -- have the same thing every day
~grazer -- eat lots of little snacks
Men are almost twice as PREDICTABLE as women when choosing lunch
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"
