School Lunch at 9:30 a.m. Is Hard to Digest

on November 11, 2011 at 2:47 PM

School lunch Would you want your kid to be eating lunch at 9:30 a.m.?

Yeah, me neither. But it turns out that's the reality for some kids, including those who go to several Florida schools.

There ought to be a law, you say? Well, in fact, there is: It's federally mandated that school lunches be served between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. And while even the extreme ends of that four-hour window seem less than ideal to me, some schools apparently find that the window isn't wide enough, and get waivers to serve kids lunches as early as 8:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m.!

One high school's rationale? Because classes begin shortly after 7 a.m., some kids are on the bus at 5:30, and they are too hungry to wait to eat until a time the rest of us might consider normal for lunch.

I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous that kids are eating "lunch" at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., regardless of what time they get up and get to school. If they eat lunch that early, how could they not then be starving by the end of the school day? Do the schools at least let them snack between classes? And do they provide healthy snack options?

Also, here's an idea: If kids are hungry at breakfast time, how about giving those kids breakfast -- and then feeding them lunch at a normal hour? Or how about shifting the school day so it doesn't start at such an ungodly hour?

Waiting for the school bus at 5:30 a.m. does not sound like a fun way to spend your teen years. And spending your school day hungry and tired doesn't sound like the best way to learn.

No matter how you slice it, an 8:30 a.m. lunch time is a little hard to digest.

How would you feel if your kid's school served lunch before 10 a.m.?

Image via Ben+Sam/Flickr

About the author Amy Reiter

is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband/work spouse, two kids, and very demanding laptop computer.

Filed Under: school, health

Comments (15)

jessicasmom1

on Nov 11, 2011 at 2:49 PM

WOW, 8:30 am is breakfast now light food , lunch at 11:15 I could not imagine and hope DD never has to eat lunch that early in the day Food is energy to make the day go better .

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Rosesandlilys

on Nov 11, 2011 at 3:07 PM

I think 10am is even too early for lunch, but 830 am? Can we say "angry mom at school board meeting"?

vamom08

on Nov 11, 2011 at 3:28 PM

I will be protesting thats way to early for a child to be eating greasy slice pizza at 8am .I will be on the way to the school board but some parents might not be concern about it they feel like as long as thier children are eating but breakfast is the most important meal of the day I feed my daughter breakfast every morning. I feel like if they know the child isnt getting a healthly breakfast at school they should cook one it dont take that long to cook some eggs and put waffles in the toaster but alot of people are without food I feel sad for the kids who are living in proverty.

Water_geM

on Nov 11, 2011 at 4:21 PM

Why dont they doa thirty minute snack time?

where kids can go to refrigerated vending machines,the cafeteria or eat what they brought and have things liek carrots,light sandwhiches and fruit...or yogurt and granola?

why lunch?

then they can do lunch after 12 for everyone.

Facebook comment from Amanda Ince-simonsen

on Nov 11, 2011 at 4:34 PM

My oldest has lunch at 11:30, and that feels early for me. School starts at 8:30 so it's not too bad, but I eat lunch closer to 1 pm, and daddy does at noon, so we have 3 lunches at our house! Plus we are at church at 11 on sunday, so it gets bad.

LittleManMama

on Nov 11, 2011 at 5:34 PM

When will common sense prevail?

KBW2

on Nov 11, 2011 at 6:00 PM

I think this is ridiculous- when I taught there was breakfast & lunch served-

But the rationale for early lunches usually revolves around the number of children that have to be served and seated each meal- that drives the schedules.

Facebook comment from Meredith Ford Fuhrer

on Nov 11, 2011 at 7:47 PM

I really think the issue here is the "ungodly hour" that many schools are starting. Kids should be in school during normal "business hours" as close as possible. This not only sets them up better for life after school but ensures that they are most likely in school hours that coincide with their parents work hours. Kids should not be waiting at the bus stop before the sun rises for all kinds of reasons if not, most importantly, for safety. And they shouldn't be also getting out of school at 2pm (or earlier) a full 3-4 hours before their parents get home. How much trouble can a High Schooler get in every afternoon with 4 hours to kill before there parents get home. Oh and they are eating god knows what because they are starving after eating "lunch" at 8:30. The school schedule needs to change,

Nonmember comment from pt

on Nov 11, 2011 at 10:55 PM

I had 10 am lunch all through out high school and at 20 years old it still has my schedule out of whack... I'm hungry for lunch by 1030 every single day.

Nonmember comment from DarkPassenger

on Nov 12, 2011 at 12:07 AM

My son is in all day preschool at the local elementary school. For WEEKS he would be 'STARVING' after school. We actually eat dinner at 3:30pm now. I had to adjust our day or he was grumpy and wanting nothing but junk. My opinion, you do what works for you. Consistency is what matters. No one says EVERYONE has to eat at 7, 12 and 6 every day.