We all know what it’s like to be pressed time during our lunch break. We end up grabbing the first consumable thing around. Options are limited and usually not that nutritious. As fully-grown adults though, we can handle an unbalanced lunch every now then. But what about kids who are still growing? How does a short lunch period affect food consumption and over all health?
QUESTION: HOW CAN WE MAKE SCHOOL LUNCHES BETTER FOR STUDENTS?
The quality of school lunches is a timely topic. Providing healthier food options is an integral part of Michele Obama’s Let’s Move Program, and was championed by Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver. But what’s the point of serving nutrient rich, fancy meals to kids if they don’t have time to eat them?
Researchers from Merrimack College in Massachusetts, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and Boston-based nonprofit called Project Bread conducted a study on 1,001 elementary and middle-school students to better understand how the amount of time to eat lunch affected what students ate. They found that if students are given more time to eat, they will eat more vegetables and fruit and drink more milk. Seems a little obvious, doesn’t it? However, the study becomes more useful upon consideration of the data collected.
ANSWER: GIVE KIDS AND STUDENTS MORE TIME TO EAT
Six schools took part in the study. Two schools had a 25-minute lunch period while the other three gave students 30 minutes to eat. The actual eating time ranged from 10 to 33 minutes with an average of 23.9 minutes.
Study results showed that students who had at least 25 minutes were 57% more likely to select a fruit than students who had less than 20 minutes for lunch. Additionally, students who had less than 20 minutes to eat consumed 13% less of their entrée, 10% less of their milk, and 12% less of their vegetable than those who had at least 25 minutes in the lunch room.
It is important to note that the study was conducted on schools that are based in an urban, low-income school district in the Boston-area.
“Many children, especially those from low-income families, rely on school meals for up to half of their daily energy intake so it is essential that we give students a sufficient amount of time to eat their lunches,” said lead author of the study Juliana Cohen, adjunct assistant professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
Break it down like this and you see the importance of giving students enough time to eat. A 30-minute lunch period is suggested to ensure students have an adequate amount of time in the lunchroom. Researchers also point out that schools need to consider travel time to the cafeteria and waiting in line.
IMAGINE SENDING THIS FOR YOUR KIDS’ SCHOOL LUNCH?
https://youtu.be/uIAczd2xF5s
Short Lunch Period Makes Students Skip the Healthy Stuff
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