Makeup music lessons, studying, extracurricular work, and homework are all activities that commonly fill up a student’s forty-minute lunchtime. As a result, many students find themselves skipping the actual “lunch” portion of that time entirely.
For many people, this is just the norm. After all, at least they’re not skipping breakfast. But the common misconception that lunch is unnecessary is one that can have serious effects on the brain and body.
“I’m in almost every music ensemble in school,” freshman Asha Miller said. “So during lunch, I do a lot of makeup lessons for everything I miss, and sometimes I have a makeup lesson and then a private lesson with Mr. Pignataro all in a row.”
Many other students share such a busy lunchtime schedule, which leaves some without any time to eat.
According to an article by the nonprofit organization No Kid Hungry, hunger can have significant effects on school performance. It can cause students to have trouble concentrating and even result in decreased academic performance.
“It’s important to have balanced meals so that you guys can get through the day,” family and consumer sciences teacher Mrs. Markell Reid said. “We don’t want to have brain fog. You guys want to be able to think clearly, and especially if you’re in class, you want good energy levels.”
However, for the busiest students, eating lunch is sometimes just not an option. But there are still some other ways to stay full and happy throughout the day.
In a study by BioMed Central, they collected data showing that 12 percent of adolescents reported skipping lunch. The purpose of this study was to understand the correlation between snackers and meal skippers. For some students, snacking throughout the day can be a great way to stay full without eating a full mid-day meal.
“Sometimes keeping snacks available can help so that at least you remember to eat something. It doesn’t have to be a full meal, but at least you’re stimulating those blood sugars somehow in the middle of the day,” Reid said.
For some, fitting in time to eat a full lunch is not a priority. But skipping lunch and/or other meals could have negative effects on school work, which is why it’s so important to try to eat as consistently as possible.
“I think a lot of people want to prioritize getting stuff done, like doing a math homework you didn’t do last night instead of eating lunch,” Miller said. ‘I understand, but you’re just going to get even more behind if you’re not energized.”
