9.22.15 Yet another study has shown that short, inadequate lunch periods are far too common, and have a negative impact on student nutrition and health.
A recent study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published in the “Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,” showed that short lunch periods in schools are linked with less healthy eating. link
“We were surprised by some of the results because I expected that with less time children may quickly eat their entrée and drink their milk but throw away all of their fruits and vegetables,” Eric Rimm, the study’s senior author, said in a statement. “Not so–we found they got a start on everything, but couldn’t come close to finishing with less time to eat.”
Students with less than 20 minutes to eat school lunches consume significantly less of their entrées, milk and vegetables than those who aren’t as rushed. Researchers analyzed plate waste at the end of the lunch period and found that students with less than 20 minutes to eat lunch ate 13 percent less of their entrées, 12 percent less of their vegetables and 10 percent less of their milk than students who had at least 25 minutes to eat.
“Many children, especially those from low-income families, rely on school meals for up to half their daily energy intake so it is essential that we give students a sufficient amount of time to eat their lunches,” Juliana Cohen, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
CFPA has sought to establish a state policy that would guarantee students at east 20 minutes to eat school lunch. These efforts have stalled in the legislature, but the problem remains. CFPA is committed to finding ways to ensure that all California students have time to eat.
For more information, visit CFPA’s AB 292 page.
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Questions? Contact Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 ext. 101 or tracey@cfpa.net
