Longer lunches needed

Recent figures by the School Nutrition Association that show elementary school students have approximately 25 minutes for lunch, while middle and high school students have around 30 minutes. This includes the time it takes to get into the lunchroom, wait in line and find a place to sit. By the time children get to their seats and eat their food, their time is down to 5 minutes or less in many cases.

Although shorter lunches have been normal in U.S. schools since 2009, that has not always been the case. Children were getting up to five additional minutes a day to eat their lunch than they do currently. In other countries, the contrast is even bigger, with countries like France giving kids up to two hours to enjoy their lunches in the middle of their school day.

Tossing some pizza in the oven and tater tots in the deep fryer doesn’t take long. However, making healthy lunches is more time consuming for cafeteria staff and students. Some schools put salad bars in their cafeterias, a healthy option, but one that takes longer since students must make their salads and then eat them. A longer school lunch time allows students to enjoy these healthier menu items.

Kindergartners through 12th-grade students took seven to 10 minutes to eat their lunches — not much time. With a longer lunch period, students can have more time to eat slowly and recognize signs of fullness, which do not develop until 20 minutes after eating. Students may also take advantage of a longer socialization time with a longer lunch break.

Tyler Meckel

Spokane