School Nutrition Services (SNS) Research

Publication: JAND

Date Published: January 2016

Reference: 

Amount of Time to Eat Lunch Is Associated with Children’s Selection and Consumption of School Meal Entrée, Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk
Cohen, Juliana F.W. et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 116, Issue 1, 123 - 128

Key Takeaways: This study examined the amount of time students have to eat lunch on their consumption of school meal components. The study involved 1001 students in grades 3 through 8th grade in six urban local schools where lunch periods varied from 20-30 minutes. Plate waste was used as the methodology to assess food consumption and selections. Students who had less than 20 minutes to eat were significantly were less significantly less likely with at least 25 minutes to eat (44%-57%). Students who had less than 20 minutes to eat were less likely to consume their entrees (13%), milk (10%),  and vegetables (12%) compared to students who had 25 minutes to consume their foods. This study showed that not having enough time to eat leads to a decrease in selection and meal consumption, including fruits, veggies, and milk.

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