Longer school lunch periods, especially longer seated lunch times, result in less food waste as well as improved student performance, cognitive function, physical health, and social/emotional health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 20 minutes of seated time for children to finish their lunches. However, less than 50 percent of U.S. school districts follow that recommendation (CDC, 2019).
The School Nutrition Association recommends 25 minutes of lunchtime for elementary school students and 30 minutes for middle and high school students. This includes the time it takes to get into the lunchroom, wait in line for a meal, find a place to sit, eat lunch, and bring trays and other items to waste/recycling stations at the end of lunch. By the time some students get to their seats and open their food, their actual seated lunchtime often is down to 15 minutes or less (Wisely, 2019). In addition, younger students often require a longer time to eat due to an undeveloped sense of time or ability to manipulate food such as eating a whole apple.
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