Enjoy Tangy, Spicy Buffalo Chicken with a Superfood Swap

(Feature Impact) When you’re craving a specific comfort food, other flavors just aren’t going to hit the spot the same way. The good news: It only takes one or two simple ingredient changes to satisfy your taste buds while leveling up the nutrition of a meal.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

For instance, if you’re jonesing for the zesty kick of buffalo sauce, your mind might initially go to pizza and wings. This Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes recipe featuring North Carolina Sweetpotatoes invites you to rethink that takeout order and enjoy the same bold, satisfying flavors in a more nutritious way. They’re a little sweet and a little spicy with savory chicken and creamy avocado stuffed jacket-style inside a nutrient-dense baked sweetpotato.

Sweetpotatoes – deliberately spelled as one word to better differentiate this unique root vegetable from traditional potatoes – are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. The American Diabetes Association even calls them a “diabetes superfood,” as they raise blood sugar more slowly than other starchy foods while allowing you to savor some natural sweetness. They’re also a great choice for athletes, thanks to complex carbohydrates that boost energy and nutrients that support endurance and recovery.

Find more ways to level up your favorite flavors at ncsweetpotatoes.com.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes
Recipe courtesy of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

• 4 sweetpotatoes
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons diced chives

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place sweetpotatoes on lined baking sheet and use fork to pierce each one for venting. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. Let sweetpotatoes cool slightly then use knife to gently cut each open lengthwise and crosswise. Use fork to lightly mash inside sweetpotatoes.
3. In large bowl, combine shredded rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce until evenly coated.
4. Spoon buffalo chicken mixture into each sweetpotato. Top with diced avocado and chives.

SOURCE:

North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission

5 Habits to Boost Immunity During Cold and Flu Season

(Feature Impact) Your immune system is your strongest ally during cold and flu season, working hard to keep you healthy as you start hearing those telltale coughs and sneezes all around. Help your body do its job well by adopting a few simple habits that naturally support its ability to fight off germs or recover faster.

Talk to your healthcare provider for personalized advice then work on making these habits normal in your household.

Get Regular Exercise

Exercise is like a wonder drug that can improve nearly every aspect of health and wellness. Physical activity increases blood flow, reduces long-term inflammation, helps immune cells circulate through the body to guard against invaders and may even flush bacteria out of your lungs and airways. Plan to fit at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise into each week, like a bike ride, brisk walk, yoga class or on-demand video workout.

Eat Foods That Support Immune Health

To keep your immune system fueled, experts recommend eating a varied diet featuring plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and healthy fats like olive oil. Consider adding fresh grapes to your diet to enjoy benefits from their naturally occurring plant compounds.

Protecting the body starts all the way down at the cellular level, and grapes contain powerful polyphenols that support the health and function of cells. Studies indicate certain compounds in grapes, like resveratrol and flavonoids, support immune system function as well as brain, skin, GI and heart health.

These little fruits are easy to add to your diet, whether you enjoy sweet, juicy Grapes from California by the handful or toss them in a blender to make this California Grape Wellness Juice recipe. Support multiple aspects of wellness with the drink’s powerful combination of fruits and vegetables, delivering a variety of immune-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water helps clean your lymphatic system, which is responsible for producing special white blood cells that fight germs. It also keeps membranes in your nose and mouth moist, decreasing infection risk. If you struggle to drink enough, eating water-rich foods like grapes also helps you improve hydration.

Practice Good Germ Hygiene

To increase your odds of staying healthy during peak illness season, hearken back to the tried-and-true hygiene advice your parents might have tried to drill into your head as a kid. Regularly wash your hands with warm water and soap, avoid touching your face while out and about, keep your distance from symptomatic people and disinfect commonly used surfaces like doorknobs when someone in the house or office is sick.

Sleep More, Stress Less

Before you start feeling stressed that you aren’t getting enough sleep, rest assured there are easy changes you can make to support your well-being in both areas. Try switching up your nightly routine to be oriented less around screens and more around calming activities that actually help you wind down, like yoga, meditation or reading.

Discover more health information and recipes at GrapesFromCalifornia.com.

California Grape Wellness Juice

Servings: 3 (1 cup each)

• 5          cups black or red Grapes from California
  
• 1/2       cup peeled raw beet slices
  
• 3/4       cup orange juice
  
• 1/4       cup lemon juice
  
• 1          small carrot, peeled and sliced          
  
• 1          piece fresh turmeric (1-inch), peeled and sliced or1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. In high-speed blender, puree grapes, beet slices, orange juice, lemon juice, carrot and turmeric until smooth.
2. Pour through fine mesh sieve, stirring to extract as much juice as possible, about 3 cups. Stop when mixture starts to get thick. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes: This juice can also be added to iced tea or fizzy water.

Nutritional information per serving: 230 calories; 3 g protein; 58 g carbohydrates; 0.5 g fat (2% calories from fat); 0 g saturated fat (0% calories from saturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 35 mg sodium; 0 g fiber.

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SOURCE:

California Table Grape Commission

Two new takes on Wingstop’s popular Lemon Pepper flavor are joining the menu as the chain rolls out a limited-edition Wing Pass aimed at football watch parties.

Football season is underway, and Wingstop is betting that wings will remain a major part of the weekly game-day spread.

The Dallas-based restaurant chain is expanding one of its signature flavors with the launch of its new Lemon Pepper Trio, featuring the familiar Original Lemon Pepper alongside two new variations: Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch and Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze.

The trio will receive an early release for Club Wingstop members beginning Sept. 10 before becoming available nationwide at participating U.S. locations on Sept. 15 for a limited time, according to the company.

Three Takes on Lemon Pepper

Wingstop’s Original Lemon Pepper combines lemon flavor with cracked black pepper in the dry rub that has become one of the chain’s best-known offerings.

The two newcomers take that familiar flavor in different directions.

Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch starts with the traditional Lemon Pepper dry rub and adds crispy Korean chili crunch, introducing additional texture and heat.

Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze goes in a sweeter and saucier direction, combining citrus flavor and sweet heat with crispy Korean chili crunch.

All three flavors can be ordered on Wingstop’s classic wings, giving customers the option of sticking with the original or trying one of the spicier variations.

“Lemon Pepper is an iconic flavor, and Wingstop is proud of the role we’ve played in bringing it to fans around the world,” Wingstop President and CEO Michael Skipworth said in announcing the promotion.

The new flavors arrive as restaurants and food brands compete for a place in one of the biggest recurring food occasions of the fall: football watch parties.

Wingstop Introduces Its First Wing Pass

Wingstop is also taking an unusual approach to football-season promotions with its first Wing Pass, essentially turning weekly wing orders into the restaurant equivalent of a season ticket.

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Each Wing Pass provides access to as many as 18 Watch Party Bundles, representing one bundle for each week of the regular football season.

A Watch Party Bundle includes 20 classic wings in as many as four flavors, a large order of fries and a large ranch.

Here’s where the promotion becomes especially notable: Wingstop says the Wing Pass costs $27.99 — the price of a single Watch Party Bundle.

Only 100 passes are being made available.

Club Wingstop members can purchase the limited passes beginning Sept. 10 at noon Central Time through Wingstop’s Wingshop. Passholders will then receive a Watch Party Bundle offer through their Wingstop app account each Sunday morning during the 18-week season, subject to the promotion’s terms and conditions.

With only 100 passes available nationwide, the Wing Pass is less a traditional discount program than a limited promotional event designed to generate attention around Wingstop’s football-season push.

Wings and Football Remain a Powerful Combination

The promotion highlights just how closely chicken wings have become associated with watching football in the United States. Restaurants routinely introduce larger bundles, limited flavors and game-day promotions as fans gather at homes, sports bars and restaurants throughout the season.

For Wingstop, the strategy combines both sides of that equation.

The Lemon Pepper Trio gives customers something new to try, while the Wing Pass encourages the idea of making Wingstop part of a weekly football routine.

Founded in 1994, Wingstop has grown to more than 3,000 restaurants worldwide. The company reported more than $5 billion in system-wide sales during fiscal 2025 and has ambitions of becoming one of the world’s top 10 restaurant brands.

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Whether Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch or Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze develops the following of Wingstop’s original version remains to be seen. But for Lemon Pepper fans looking for something different during football season, the starting lineup just got a little bigger.

Source: Wingstop Restaurants Inc., press release issued Sept. 9, 2026.

Availability and promotional offers may vary by participating location. The Lemon Pepper Trio is a limited-time offering while supplies last. The Wing Pass is subject to Wingstop’s official terms and conditions.

Sources

• Wingstop — Lemon Pepper Trio and First-Ever Wing Pass announcement — Wingstop’s official Sept. 9, 2026 announcement covering the Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch, Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze and Wing Pass. 
• PR Newswire — Wingstop Kicks Off Football Season with New Lemon Pepper Trio and Wing Pass — Original distributed press release dated Sept. 9, 2026. 

Related Links

• Wingstop Lemon Pepper Flavor Guide — Background on Wingstop’s original Lemon Pepper dry rub, including its lemon and cracked-pepper flavor profile. 
• Wingstop Investor Relations — Corporate information, financial results and current company announcements. 
• Wingstop News & Press Releases — Additional Wingstop product launches and company news, including its recent Carolina Gold and Jamaican Jerk promotion. 

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