By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
It’s no surprise that lunch is an important part of the school day, work day, or weekend. Inputting nutritious foods into the body when your body starts to give you signals of hunger is crucial not only for surviving, but thriving. Food at a molecular level, is energy. That energy helps us play outside, be present in conversations, fuel our body from brain to feet, and so much more. There are countless studies for how food impacts us, especially revolving around lunch time. Let’s dive into one of our favorite studies and expand on a few of its findings.
In a 1,000 person survey, 60% of recently promoted millennials took a break at lunch, whether it was to rest and recharge, make connections, or enjoy a light physical activity after eating. What we love seeing about this finding, is that when someone takes the time to eat and focus on their unique needs, it is cup filling. Maybe they had more brain power, more connection, more mental capacity, or a combination of different things to do the best at their job. This can translate over in schools as well. Not necessarily the promotion part, but the meeting of a human need. As children are learning and absorbing everyday it is vital to nourish the body and mind with quality calories.
In that same survey, people who bring their lunch are 54% more likely to eat fruit and vegetables at that time. More is more and we are here for that. The recommended servings of fruit and vegetables is 5-9 servings per day. Fruits and vegetables have a good amount of fiber in them and while their benefits go well beyond that one nutrient, it is an important part of a balanced diet. The current recommendations for fiber are 25 grams for a female and 36 grams for a male. Fiber helps with keeping us fuller longer, our bowel movements regular, feeds the good gut bugs, can help reduce blood sugar spikes after a meal, might reduce the risk of certain cancers and diseases and much more.
Finally, in that same survey, 45% of people don’t plan what they are going to eat for lunch at all. As Registered Dietitians, we suggest not leaving this up to chance most days. Things like cooking more for dinner, having a few versatile staple items in your weekly shopping list that can be used for snacks or lunch components, or making your lunch the night before are just a few ways to make sure your “lunch hour” is accounted for. However, there are always last minute things that pop up so having a few healthy snack options on hand to take you through until your meal time or your favorite nutritious restaurant picks ready-to-go can be good things to have in place when the unexpected pops up!
Mini Blue Cheese Hatch Stuffed Meatballs
What You Need
1 lb Ground turkey
1 lb Ground Beef
1, 4oz can Hatch chile
4 oz Blue Cheese
1/2 large Onion
2 Egg
1 c. oat flour
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Garlic
Salt and pepper as desired
How It’s Made
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl loosely combine the ground turkey and beef
3. Dice onion and add to mixture
4. Add in the hatch chiles, egg, oat flour, and seasonings
5. Loosley turn with hand to incorporate ingredients evenly throughout mixture
6. Spray a mini muffin tin non-stick spray
7. Form little meatballs to place in each space
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes
Makes 49 Meatballs
