Why Mississippi Students Need More Time to Eat

Healthy school meals help students learn, grow, and stay healthy. But access to nutritious food is only part of the equation. Students also need enough time to sit down and eat their meals.

Today, Mississippi’s nutrition standards recognize that students need adequate time to eat and enjoy school meals. However, the state does not currently guarantee a minimum amount of lunch seat time for students, meaning lunch schedules can vary across schools and districts.

The Solution: A Statewide Time to Eat Policy

The American Heart Association supports establishing statewide Time to Eat standards that help ensure all students have sufficient time to consume their school meals. Specifically, the Heart Association supports standards that require schools to:

• Schedule lunch periods for at least 30 minutes total.
• Provide students with at least 20 minutes of seated eating time after receiving their meal.
• Exclude time spent waiting in line from the 20-minute eating requirement.
• Schedule lunch at appropriate times during the school day, such as between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

By establishing a statewide standard, Mississippi can ensure every student has a fair opportunity to eat and benefit from nutritious school meals.

Why It Matters

When students are rushed through lunch, they may skip healthy foods, throw away portions of their meals, or return to class hungry. Providing adequate time to eat helps students:

• Consume more of the nutritious foods offered through school meal programs.
• Develop healthy eating habits.
• Reduce food waste.
• Stay focused and ready to learn throughout the school day.

For many Mississippi children, school meals provide an important source of daily nutrition. Ensuring students have enough time to eat is a simple but meaningful way to support their health and academic success.

How You Can Help

Creating healthier school environments starts with engaged advocates. If you’re already a member of the Heart Association’s Heart Powered network, watch for opportunities to take action on school nutrition policies in Mississippi.

Not yet connected to our school nutrition advocacy work? Take our School Meals for Healthy Students Pledge to show your support for policies that help students access and benefit from nutritious school meals. By signing the pledge, you’ll join Heart Powered and receive updates on the Heart Association’s advocacy efforts, including school nutrition issues, along with opportunities to take action when your voice is needed.

Together, we can help ensure every Mississippi student has the time they need to eat, learn, and thrive.

Resources

Looking to learn more? Explore these resources:

• Are Lunch Periods Too Short? Some States Want to Give Kids More Time to Eat | Education Week
• Time for Lunch | School Nutrition | CDC
• Making time to eat: A review of state policies and guidance on school mealtime duration | Center for Science in the Public Interest