Cornell University. US: Students participating in the National School Lunch Program are
required to select a fruit and a vegetable side. This regulation is
intended to get students to eat more fruits and vegetables; however,
just because an apple and green beans made it on to the tray doesn’t
mean that they will be eaten. Many schools have reported that fruits and
vegetables are feeding trash cans rather than students. This new study
published in Preventive Medicine shows that one simple no-cost
change, holding recess before lunchtime, can increase fruit and
vegetable consumption by 54%.
“Recess is often held after lunch so
children hurry to “finish” so that they can go play—this results in
wasted fruits and vegetables,” explains co-author David Just, PhD of
Cornell University, “However, we found that if recess is held before
lunch, students come to lunch with healthy appetites and less urgency
and are more likely to eat their fruits and vegetables.”
Lead
author Joseph Price, PhD, Brigham Young University and Dr. Just
conducted their study in a school district in Orem, Utah. Seven schools
within the district (grades 1-6) participated in the study, three of
which switched recess to before lunch and 4 of which continued to hold
recess after lunch. For four days in spring of 2011 and 9 days in the
fall of 2011 researchers measured fruit and vegetable waste by standing
next to the trash cans and recording the number of servings of fruits
and vegetables that each student consumed or threw away. They also
measured whether or not each student ate at least one serving of fruits
or vegetables.
After analyzing a total of 22,939 observations the researchers
concluded that in the schools that switched recess to before lunch
children ate 54% more fruits and vegetables. There was also a 45%
increase in those eating at least one serving of fruits and vegetables.
During the same time period consumption of fruits and vegetables
actually decreased in the schools that didn’t switch.
Not getting a
full, balanced meal can leave children feeling hungry during the rest
of the school day leading to decreased academic performance and
excessive snacking when they get home from school. The researchers note
that, “increased fruit and vegetable consumption in young children can
have positive long term health effects. Additionally, decreasing waste
of fruits and vegetables is important for schools and districts that are
faced with high costs of offering healthier food choices.” Because
moving recess is a no-cost way to make kids healthier and make the
school meal program more successful, Price and Just recommend that every
school makes the switch.