It's kind of a trip, what inspired me to cover this particular topic. While I was doing some of my usual online perusing, a particular Twitter post was brought to my attention. I really want you to watch it; however, if you're skimming this, the gist is that — surprise, surprise — a main reason why so many of us think that we should have three square meals a day is because (eye roll), back in the day, Europeans thought it was "uncivilized" that Native Americans ate when they felt like it rather than be on some sort of a schedule.
The more you know, chile. The more you know. Anyway, if after watching that, you first got a little pissed off and then breathed a sigh of relief because a) maybe breakfast ain't really your thing and/or b) you tend to go with a much lighter dinner and/or c) you like lunch most or even least of all, I still think this article may provide some additional ah-ha moments. Because whether you eat three meals, two smoothies and one meal or some variation in between these options, if you've ever had some lingering questions in the back of your mind about the true purpose that lunch can serve in your life and/or you've been wondering how to make the most of your lunchtime, hopefully this can "scratch that itch". At least a little bit.
Why You Should Eat Lunch
As someone who isn't that much of a breakfast person myself (I'll typically make myself a smoothie or have some fruit; I only really do a big breakfast on the weekends and even that's not all of the time), I usually don't even think about eating for real for real until around what's considered to be the traditional lunchtime (between 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. for me). The reason is because it's not until then that I'm actually hungry.
Yet when I looked up why eating lunch can be a wise move on the health tip, what I discovered is it's a great way to give your mind and body time to rest and recharge, so that you can be productive throughout the rest of your day.
So y'all, if you're like some of the people I know who work through their legal-right-to-partake-of-lunch period, you really should rethink that. Even if you treat your lunch as I do my breakfast (and you have something super light), the time away can actually help you to be more effective at your job. In fact, a lot of health experts say that if you don't take at least 15-20 minutes to recharge by getting some sort of fuel into your system, it can make you moody, lethargic and cause you to have a really difficult time concentrating. So yeah, take your lunch period seriously. Literally too.
What Time of Day Should You Be Eating Lunch?
As far as the time of day when you should enjoy your lunch, I did some looking around and found some interesting points from various registered dieticians. What many of them said was if you had a full breakfast at around 7:30-8 a.m., you should feel satisfied until around 11 a.m.-12 p.m. And what if you ate at a different time than that?
Well, the main takeaway is about 4-5 hours from when you had breakfast is a good time to have lunch.
And what if you didn't have much breakfast or you skipped out on it altogether? In that case, the recommendation is to have a low-calorie snack that can help you to feel satisfied for at least an hour or two (so that your energy levels are up until your lunch period). OK, and what if you decide to skip lunch and wait for dinner? Well, aside from what I shared about the benefits that come from having something for lunch, there is plenty of data to support that going light in the morning and afternoon and having a big dinner not only significantly increases the chances of you consuming way more calories than you should but it can also make it difficult for you to sleep soundly because your body is trying to digest all of that stuff that you just ate. That's why a lot of health professionals also recommend that you stop eating within three hours of your intended bedtime.
So, you know what all of this points too, right? More and more, it's looking like eating lunch is a good idea; especially if you're someone who enjoys having a heartier meal but you want to keep your weight in check and your sleep consistent.
Lunch Hacks That Make Eating (at Work) Easier
So, what if, after taking all of this in, you're down to give lunch more of a shot yet you feel like making your lunch instead of avoiding the drive-thru (check out "Why You Should Consider Leaving Fast Food Alone") is going to be more of a prepping headache than you can handle? No problem. I've got a few hacks for that.
Make the most out of cupcake cases (liners). Wanna keep different foods better organized? You'd be shocked what some cupcake cases can do. For instance, if you've got a container that doesn't have dividers, there's no need to purchase one. Just pick up some cases and put different things in those. Everything will be in its "rightful place" without you having to spend extra coins to make it happen.
Play around with muffin tins. Here's the thing about muffin tins — you can put more than just muffins in them. Little omelets. Mini quiches. Fritters. Tiny shepherd's pies. Small mac 'n cheeses. When you let your imagination run wild, the possibilities really are endless. And since these kinds of meals will be in muffin tins, they're super easy to take to work with you.
Put salads in mason jars. Wanna take a salad or burrito bowl to work but you're afraid that it'll get soggy? One of the best hacks ever is to put it into a mason jar. The seal will keep everything fresh. The size of the jar will help you with portion control. And just think about how convenient bringing a jar into work will be when you've got so much other stuff to lug around.
Remember that paper towels absorb moisture. Speaking of sogginess and the way to avoid it, whether it's a salad in a different kind of container or you're going the raw veggie route with some other type of dish, you can also keep stuff from wilting by putting one sheet of a paper towel on the bottom of your container and another on top (after you've put your food inside of it). It has a way of drawing in the excess moisture when you do. By the way, wax paper does a pretty good job at this when it comes to sandwiches too.
Keep oil and vinegar at your desk. Infused oil and vinegar jars are actually very pretty to look at. So, if you're someone who uses a lot of both when you're having lunch, pick up some tall bottles at a local arts and crafts store (you know, the ones that come with a cork), pour the oil and vinegar into them and store them on your desk. How handy is that?
Get drink pouches for smoothies. If you're someone who goes the big breakfast route yet reading all of this has convinced you to at least have a smoothie for lunch, don't break the bank (and take in a ton of calories) by purchasing one every day. Instead, pick up some smoothie pouches. They're compact. Reusable. And since you'll be making your smoothies yourself, you can control exactly what's going into them.
Freeze stuff. As far as prepping for the week goes, freezing rice, quinoa and soups are always a good idea. Putting a frozen fruit box into your lunch container can keep stuff like yogurt cool. Frozen grapes are a great snack for your desk. Bottom line, freezers are your friend when it comes to enjoying your lunch, so don't be afraid to use them — whether you have lunch at 11 or 2.
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RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
