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Photo: Amanda Mills/Pixnio
As a former public school student growing up in Southern California, I remember running through the lunch line and, in a short amount of time, grabbing cardboard trays and packing soggy, plastic-wrapped meals. By the time the bell rang, many students often had to rush back to class with a slice of pizza in the lunch line.
These seemingly small memories can have a big impact on behavior, and a University of Michigan study found that one in eight American adults shows signs of food addiction.
Universal school lunch programs are currently active in eight states, including California, and more states are looking to follow suit. This is a huge step forward in increasing nutrition access for public school students. However, there is a notable gap in that there are no federal regulations requiring a minimum amount of time for school meals. Students across the country, including in California public schools, are ditching meals and rushing back to class.
Schools play a pivotal role in shaping a child's mindset. But how effective are school lunch programs when children have to wait in line or rush to eat?
To achieve equity in K-12 schools, policymakers and educators have rightly prioritized the need for food access in schools. This move can expand the positive impact at low cost by implementing ample lunch breaks in schools. There is a lot of research on how food can improve test scores, and a 2021 study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that when middle school students were given 20 minutes of seated time for lunch, they ate more fruits and vegetables. It turns out that they ate more.
Time is an important aspect of food. It is a time to engage in social and communal experiences that go beyond eating, digesting, and filling our bellies. Think of the iconic scenes that take place during cafeteria time in iconic movies like “Mean Girls” or “The Breakfast Club.” These are the hallmarks of a youth who deserves enough time. Food is essential to building culture and relationships and teaches children important lessons about socialization and connections that last a lifetime. Scheduling school schedules can make it difficult to meet required instructional hours, but shortening lunch breaks is not a sufficient or sustainable solution for students.
By setting minimum durations for school meals, schools recognize that fostering a healthy relationship with food is important in preparing children for a positive future. While there may not be one right solution for all schools, the California Department of Education recommends that lunch periods be at least 20 minutes long, have recess before lunch, require sitting for a certain amount of time, and allow students to get through the food line. suggested. fast.
The interaction of cafeteria, community, and classroom (3Cs) reflects how K-12 schools extend beyond students' desks. Young students are sponges of knowledge. Providing the building blocks of mindful eating by encouraging longer lunch periods can strengthen efforts to help students live healthy lives and influence lifelong eating habits. As mental health advocates call for increased mindfulness in educational institutions, this philosophy should extend to restaurants.
Now is the perfect time for schools to create environments where students feel empowered to make wise choices about the food they consume. Even with universal free school lunches, parents should continue to research and ask what their children eat at school and whether they can afford to take the time to eat it.
Let’s bridge the gap between education equity and nutrition equity to promote a system that ensures well-nourished, attentive students embrace learning while they are in school.
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Julia Ransom I am a senior majoring in human biology at Stanford University.
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