Lunch After Recess can Boost Kids’ Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Study Finds

Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they have lunch after recess, a new but small study found.

In this study headed by researchers from Brigham Young University (BYU) and Cornell University, the team theorized that children would eat more fruits and vegetables after recess for two reasons. First, the children would be hungrier after playing and second, the children would not have to rush and eat only certain parts of their lunch in anticipation of recess.

David Just, a behavioral economist at Cornell, explained reported by CBS Minnesota, "Recess is often held after lunch so children hurry to 'finish' so that they can go play. This results in wasted fruits and vegetables."

The researchers conducted their study in students between the first and sixth grades from seven schools located in Orem, Utah. Some of the schools in this district were in the process of changing the lunch and recess schedule.

"This put us in a unique position to evaluate the impact of a changing recess before lunch since we were already collecting data at the schools making the change as well as some very similar schools nearby," BYU's Joseph Price said reported by USA Today.

"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," Just said.

The team found that when lunch came after recess, fruit and vegetable consumption per child increased by 54 percent in comparison to children from the control group who ate lunch first. This rate meant that 45 percent more children ate fruits and vegetables overall. The researchers also reported that eating lunch after playing reduced food waste. They measured food waste by counting how many ounces of fruit and vegetables the children from both groups threw out.

"It's not always what's on the tray that matters," Just stated. "Sometimes it's what you were doing before or after lunch that makes the difference."

The study was published in the February issue of Preventive Medicine.