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Uncovering the Problem with Skipping Lunch




Childhood is an important time for building healthy habits for life. But research from Nestlé’s Kids Nutrition and Health Study (KNHS) reveals that a large number of children and adolescents are in the habit of skipping lunch and, as a result, missing out on several key nutrients.

The study, recently featured in an article by Reuters Health, found that approximately 7 to 20 percent of school-aged children skip lunch at least once a week. Skipping the lunchtime meal is associated with lower intakes of vitamins A, D, E and K, along with several essential minerals. However, lunch skippers also tend to consume the same amount of ‘empty’ calories, including sugar and solid fat, as those who eat lunch.

While previous studies have looked into breakfast skipping and snacking in children, this is the first to examine what happens when kids skip lunch. Novel KNHS research, such as this, is one way that Nestlé is providing unique insights into children’s nutritional issues and dietary patterns in order to better guide all who feed and care about the health of children.

Learn more about the study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Take a look at the full Child Nutrition Research Infographic