An Examination of School Lunch Consumption and its Relationship with Immediate, Subsequent, Physical Activity

In light of recent school-policy movements that encourage recess be moved before lunch, the present study seeks to examine the relationship between food consumption and immediate, subsequent physical activity (PA) and, more specifically, if a risk would be posed to the amount of children's PA if food is not consumed directly before activity. A cross-section study was performed measuring (a) lunch composition (in terms of food groups defined by the USDA's food plate), (b) lunch consumption, and (c) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the following recess period, in consenting third through sixth grade students. The relationship between food consumption and percentage of recess time spent in MVPA was determined to be weak. However, the study identified low average provision and consumption rates across all food groups and evaluated this through the lease of current school lunch policy/formatting.