9.3.2014 A recently released UC Berkeley study has shown that middle and high school students eat more fruits and vegetables when given more time to eat lunch at school.
The study included almost 5,500 middle and high school students in 31 California schools and assessed the impact of different factors on student fruit and vegetable consumption at lunch. The school-level factors included the length of the lunch period; the quality and variety of fruits & vegetables; the presence of snack foods in the cafeteria; student involvement; and the percent of students eligible for free and reduced price lunch. Increased time to eat at lunch had a significant impact on both fruit and vegetable consumption. Students with longer lunch periods (>34 minutes) were 40% more likely to eat fruit and 54% more likely to eat vegetables than students with shorter lunch periods.
Among the school-level factors examined, only the length of the lunch period was significantly associated with increasing the odds of a student eating fruits (40%) and vegetables (54%) at school, among students eating the school lunch. The findings are consistent with a prior study that found an increase in nutrient consumption among elementary school students in a school with a longer lunch period.
Substantial evidence shows that American adolescents would benefit from eating a healthier diet, including more fruits and vegetables. Schools have a crucial role to play in supporting youth to make healthy choices. This study provides evidence that longer lunch periods can encourage middle and high school students to eat more fruits and vegetables at school.
This research was published in the September 2014 issue of the Journal of School Health. link
For information about state advocacy to increase students’ time to eat, visit CFPA’s AB 2449 page.
For information about federal advocacy to increase students’ time to eat, visit CFPA’s 2014-15 Federal Priorities: School Nutrition page.
Questions? Contact Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 ext 101.
