Recess Before Lunch? Why It Might be a Great Idea

By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Agata Kowalewska, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida

It always makes me heart sink when I open one of my children’s school lunchboxes and find that they’ve barely touched the food inside. “Look at this sandwich with one bite out of it!” I gripe. “What about all these strawberries? I don’t think you even touched them.”

The response I often get is that they didn’t have time to eat the food that was sent. While I’m sure that this is partly because they’re talking with their friends, I also suspect that they’re very eager to go outside to the playground–which they can do only after they finish eating. And really, who can blame them? I know how important that outside play time is to their young bodies and minds.

A Simple Switch Could Make the Difference

But could there be a better way? Some researchers think so. What if we made a simple switch, and held recess before lunch, not after it? Kids might work up more of an appetite and eat a better, more balanced lunch, including more of the fruits and vegetables they might otherwise leave behind. In fact, some researchers have wondered if simply changing the schedule this way could dramatically increase the amount of fruits and veggies consumed from school lunches—without costing a thing.

Experimental Evidence Shows it Works

So at seven Utah elementary schools, an experiment was tried. First, researchers observed food waste patterns (from school lunches only, not from lunches brought from home) while all these schools were still on a recess-after-lunch schedule. At this point, fruit and vegetable consumption at all the schools was similar. Then, three schools switched to a “before-lunch” recess, while the rest continued holding recess after lunch as usual. Food waste was then observed again.

At the recess-before-lunch schools, more kids were now choosing to actually eat at least one serving of fruits and vegetables—45% more kids, in fact. Not only that, they were eating more of the fruits and vegetables—54% more of them. So, this simple change did appear to really affect children’s eating habits.

If you’re like me, you can probably think of several other reasons why this switch might be a good idea. Maybe kids who have exercised are calmer and better-behaved in the cafeteria. And children who eat a fuller, more balanced lunch could be less likely to be hungry later in the school day.

A Challenge? Maybe

School districts may resist the idea of changing the order of recess and lunch. Weather, scheduling, supervision issues, tradition, or other school-specific concerns may all factor in, and it’s important to ensure that children still get adequate time on the playground. However, at a time when more money is being spent to purchase more produce for school lunches and meet new federal standards, this no-cost measure could be a worthwhile experiment. Maybe more schools will give it a try.

(Photo credit: UF/IFAS file photo.)

References:

Price J, Just DR. Lunch, recess and nutrition: Responding to time incentives in the cafeteria. Preventive Medicine 2014. Published online http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.11.016

Watch Dr. Joseph Price talk about the “recess before lunch” findings:

1


Posted: January 26, 2015


Category: Health & Nutrition, Work & Life
Tags: Health And Wellness, Nutrition And Food Systems


Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories