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Debate,

Should You Snack During Class?

Luca wants to munch whenever he’s hungry. Richa prefers the classroom to be a snack-free zone. Whose side are you on?

By Alessandra Potenza

From the March/April 2026 Issue

Lexiles: 600L-700L

Featured Skill: Supporting an Argument,

Standards

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Dear Richa,

Do you hear that rumbling? It’s my stomach! I get so hungry during the day. Let’s ask Ms. Mendez to allow snacking in class!

According to experts, kids ages 6 to 12 usually eat one or two snacks a day. Why? Healthy snacks like fruit or yogurt are an important way to get all the nutrients we need to grow. If we can’t eat during class, it can be tough to squeeze in the snacks we need to stay healthy.

Being hungry is also very distracting. It’s hard to focus on fractions with an empty stomach! I have breakfast at 8 a.m. before leaving for school. By lunchtime, I’m absolutely starving. A morning snack would give me the energy boost I need to keep learning.

And what about kids who have activities like soccer right after school? An afternoon snack in class is their only chance to eat before dinnertime.

I know snacking can be messy. But we can come up with a list of foods that are neat to eat. Plus, we can be responsible and clean up after ourselves.

So what do you say? Will you join me in asking
Ms. Mendez to allow snacking in class?

Snack supporter,

Luca

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Dear Luca,

I definitely hear you. But I don’t think snacking in class is a good idea. Here’s why.

You mentioned that being hungry is a distraction. But do you know what’s even more distracting? Snacking! Let’s say a student opens a bag of buttery popcorn. Then another starts chomping on crunchy pretzels. The sounds and smells will make it hard to concentrate on learning.

I think I know what you’re going to say: We could set aside time for morning and afternoon snacks. That way, we wouldn’t be distracted. But each snack break would last about 15 minutes. That would take time away from learning. What if Ms. Mendez cut recess short to make up for the class time we missed?

Finally, I’m glad you brought up how snacks can be messy. Even if we allow only certain snacks, there are bound to be messes. What if cracker crumbs or gobs of hummus are left on someone’s desk? That’s gross! And the mess can bring in pests like ants.

How about we keep food out of the classroom? Then we’ll have plenty of time for learning—and for recess!

Focus fan,