During just about any school lunch break, most people will spend half of their time standing in line to get food, and will then spend the rest of that small break trying to find someplace to sit. But then the lunch bell rings and signals that the next class will start soon. But there is still food on the tray.
The first reason that kids should get longer lunches at school is that we need time to have a break after learning for three or four and a half hours. The time we get in a lunch break is equivalent to the time we would get at an office job. We are kids and need a longer break to process what we learned thoroughly. We should practice what we have learned, socialize, and eat a full meal.
For example, over the summer, I had taken on a job. That job gave me a half-hour lunch break, which is the same amount of time we get to eat at school. But research reported by edweek.org found on an April 25, 2023 survey that schools on average will only give students 25 minutes to eat. Half an hour was not enough time to stop, eat, relax, and process the work I had just done at my summer job. In school, we have even more information to process, which can take up to four and a half hours before lunch. For high schools, the half an hour that is given does not account for the time that it takes to leave the campus, drive to the nearest fast food chain, wait in line, and come back — that alone takes a whole 30 minutes. Kids have been seen eating in class because there isn’t enough time to eat during lunch.
The U.S. Department of Education recommended in 2022-2023 that students need at least 20 minutes of sit-down time to eat. This does not include the time that it takes to get to the cafeteria and stand in line to get food. The Department of Agriculture voiced its opinion on April 24, 2024, saying that the 20 minutes of sit-down time has a better effect on students’ eating patterns and nutrition.
The teachers interviewed at Lewiston High School agreed that their students are not coming into class refreshed after lunch, and students are often stressing about courses. One reason for this is that students aren’t getting the proper time to think about what they have learned, so they forget what they have learned or put it aside.
The second reason for getting a longer lunch break is to connect with friends. Some people only get to see their friends in school and might not get to have a class with them. So, they only get to talk to each other over food in the cafeteria. A report from your.kingcounty.gov said in February 2020 that proper eating time helps develop people’s social skills. During lunch, kids learn to listen, talk, and practice patience with each other. They also learn to be empathetic and more understanding to others.
In talking to a few class peers about their opinions on longer lunches, the majority responded that they wanted longer lunches. One remembered the day when they had to talk to their school counselor about one of their classes and still had to eat lunch afterward. They barely had time to speak or eat at all; most of their time was spent in line trying to get food.
The opposition would argue that the main reason that people are at school is to learn and that getting a more extensive lunch break would take away from that. However, when kids are overloaded with classes, tests, and homework, it’s necessary to give them a proper break.
The third reason for extended lunch times is that, in general, people are trying to promote better health for kids. This includes serving fresh fruit, which takes more time to eat. A study a few years ago showed that kids who had more time to eat were more likely to eat healthier options. “Research shows that healthy lunches not only make children’s bodies healthier, but the combination of nutrition and physical activity in a longer lunch period can improve academic performance,” reported by your.kingcounty.gov. With longer lunch times kids are more likely to choose a healthier option and that can help with their academics.
It seems like everyone is talking about health, whether physical or emotional. But they need to look at the bigger picture in the story about kids’ diets and the time they need to complete a healthier meal. By disregarding the importance of eating time, parents and school staff are contradicting themselves. The lesser amount of eating time is affecting kids’ academic time, which they also value.
A solution to this problem would be to let kids get an extra 15 minutes to eat. This is because:
“According to nutrition experts, 15 minutes or less is not enough time for children to eat and digest their food properly. When people have less time to eat, or when they eat meals faster, calorie consumption increases. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), many unhealthy eating habits can be established during childhood, which has likely contributed to the current obesity epidemic.” (your.kingcounty.gov)
This shows that if people don’t have time to properly digest their food, it can lead to health problems in the future.
Kids are not adults. Our bodies and brains are still developing, and students need time just to be kids and decompress while eating and socializing. We need not be treated like we are in an office job.
