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Survey: Do your kids have enough time to eat lunch at school?

CDC says students should have at least 20 minutes to eat

FILE - Second-grade students select their meals during lunch break in the cafeteria at an elementary school in Scottsdale, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Mariani, File) (Alberto Mariani, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

Do your kids have enough time to eat lunch at school?

The CDC recommends that students should have at least 20 minutes -- once they are seated -- to eat their meal and socialize.

About half of school districts across the nation do not require or recommend that schools provide students with at least 20 minutes to eat.

There is an important difference in the total lunch period time and the time the student has to actually eat the meal. Things like using the bathroom, washing their hands, walking to where the meal is served, waiting in line, waiting to pay, walking to the table, and bussing trays after the meal take away from the time they actually have to eat.

According to the CDC, students have said that not having enough time to eat is a reason they do not buy lunch through the school. Studies have shown that providing more time to eat can increase the amount of food eaten, increase amount of fruits and vegetables eaten, decrease plate waste, and more.

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About the Author
Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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