Students in a lunchroom eating food while others are in line holding trays

Illustrations by Carolyn Ridsdale; Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)

Debate,

Should Lunch Be Longer?

In many schools, kids get only a few minutes to eat their lunch. Is that enough time?

By Mackenzie Carro

From the October/November 2022 Issue

Lexile: 500L-600L, 700L-800L

Guided Reading Level: Q

Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details,

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It’s noon—lunchtime at last! It’s pizza day, and everyone is excited. You hustle through the hallways with your classmates and join the long line in the cafeteria.

Finally, you get your food, find a seat, and start to dig in when—RRRRING! You shove a big bite of pizza in your mouth before rushing back to class. Sounds familiar? You’re not alone.

In many schools in the United States, students have about 25 minutes for lunch. When you consider how long it takes to get to the cafeteria, wait in line, and take a bathroom break, there isn’t much time left to eat. Sometimes kids have only five minutes.

That’s why some schools have started making lunchtimes longer. Should more schools do the same?

It’s lunchtime at last! You rush to the cafeteria with your class. You join the long line.

Finally, you get your food. You find a seat. You start to eat when the bell rings. RRRRING! Lunchtime is over. You shove a big bite in your mouth before hurrying back to class. Does this sound familiar? You're not alone.

In many schools in the United States, students have about 25 minutes for lunch. Think about how long it takes to get to the caferteria and wait in line. There isn’t much time left to eat! Some kids have only five minutes.

That's why some schools have made lunchtimes longer. Should more schools do the same?

Healthier Choices

In the past, students got closer to 40 minutes for lunch. Around 2010, schools began shortening lunch as a way to add precious extra minutes to class times. But a short lunch break can actually make it harder to learn.

“Lunch is a time for students to recharge, so that they can go back to the classroom ready to learn again,” says Juliana Cohen, a professor at Harvard University who studies school lunch. In other words, students need a break in order to focus in their afternoon classes.

Longer lunches also lead to healthier choices. Cohen’s research showed that kids with at least 25 minutes of sit-down time eat more veggies. (If you have only five minutes, which would you rather eat—the pizza or the broccoli?)

That’s not all. One study showed that the more time kids have, the more of their lunch they eat—so less food ends up in the trash.

Longer lunchtimes are a win for kids and the environment.

In the past, students got more time for lunch. About 10 years ago, schools began cutting lunchtimes so they could add extra minutes to class times. But a short lunch break can make it harder to learn.

“Lunch is a time for students to recharge, so that they can go back to the classroom ready to learn again,” says Juliana Cohen. She’s a professor who studies school lunch. In other words, students need a break so they can think in their afternoon classes.

Longer lunches also lead to healthier choices. Cohen’s research showed that kids with longer sit- down times eat more veggies. (If you have only five minutes, would you rather eat pizza or broccoli?)

That’s not all. Another study showed that the more time kids have, the more of their lunch they eat. That means less food ends up in the trash.

Longer lunchtimes are a win for kids and Earth.

Other Options

There’s no doubt all students (and teachers!) deserve enough time to eat. But some people think longer lunches aren’t the solution.

For one thing, school schedules are already packed. If lunch were to get longer, would class times have to get shorter? Then teachers wouldn’t have time to teach you all you need to learn. Or even worse, would recess get cut? Then a longer lunch wouldn’t really be giving you much of a break!

Also, some schools argue that longer lunch times could lead to more kids misbehaving. Consider this: If students have time to hang out after they finish eating, they also have more time to make trouble.

There are other options. One is to add more grab-and-go meals in the cafeteria. That would mean less time wasted standing in line. Another way to speed up lines would be to have smaller groups of kids eat at different times.

Some schools have tried ideas that are also used in other countries. In Japan, for example, lunch is brought to students’ classrooms, resulting in no lines at all!

So what do you think? Is it time to add more minutes to lunch?

It’s no question that all students (and teachers!) should have enough time to eat. But some people think longer lu aren’t the answer.

For one, school days are already busy. If lunch gets longer, would class times get shorter? Then teachers wouldn’t have time to teach all they need to. Or would recess get cut?

Also, some schools say that kids will behave badly if lunchtimes are longer. If students have time after they finish eating, they’ll have more time to make trouble.

There are other options. One is to add more grab-and-go meals to the menu. That would mean less time standing in line. Another option is to have smaller groups eat at different times.

Some schools have tried ideas that are also used in other countries. For example, in Japan, lunch is brought to students’ classrooms. There are no lines at all!

So what do you think? Is it time to make lunch longer?

What Do You Think?

Should lunchtime be longer? Go back to the article and write down reasons to support each side of the argument. State your opinion in one sentence, which can be the topic sentence for an opinion essay on this subject.