Mindful eating

Demanding work schedules and a lack of communal eating areas often lead people to eat in isolation during meal breaks. Eating alone can cause overeating and contribute to stress that is related to the lack of social interaction with others.

This feature provides building occupants with dedicated spaces for eating and socializing with others. Time spent in these break areas can lead to better eating habits, strengthen social interactions and help reduce stress.

Part 1: Eating Spaces

An eating space (or multiple spaces) for employees adheres to the following requirements:

a. Contains tables and chairs to accommodate at least 25% of total employees at a given time.

b. Is located within 60 m [200 ft] of at least 90% of all occupants.

Part 1: Health Benefits

Employers provide at least one of the following to employees:

a.¹⁸⁵ Employer-based health insurance for part- and full-time workers, as well as their spouse and dependents, or subsidies to purchase individual insurance through an exchange.

b.¹⁸⁴ Flexible spending accounts.

c.¹⁸⁴ Health spending accounts.

d.⁹¹ On-site immunizations or time off during the workday to receive immunizations.

e.²⁰ Workplace policies that encourage ill employees to stay home or work remotely.

Part 3: Lunch Breaks for Schools

The time allotment for lunch periods for early education, elementary, middle, and high schools are one of the following:

a.¹⁶³ 30 minutes minimum.

b.¹⁶³ 20 minutes minimum, not including time for walking to/from the cafeteria, waiting in line and purchasing food.

Digestive

Nervous

	Core & Shell	Tenant Improvement	New Construction
Part 1: Eating Spaces	-	O	O
Part 1: Health Benefits	-	O	O
Part 3: Lunch Breaks for Schools	-	-	-

	Commercial Kitchen	Schools	Multifamily Residential	Restaurant	Retail
Part 1: Eating Spaces	-	O	-	O	O
Part 1: Health Benefits	-	O	-	O	O
Part 3: Lunch Breaks for Schools	-	O	-	-	-

Verification Methods Matrix

	Letters of Assurance	Annotated Documents
PART 1 (Design) Eating Spaces		Architectural Drawing
PART 1 (Protocol) Health Benefits		Policy Document
PART 3 (Design) Lunch Breaks for Schools	Architect

Show Standard Citations

**163**

Conklin, MT, Lambert, LG, and Anderson, JB. How Long Does it Take Students to Eat Lunch? A Summary of Three Studies. The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management. 2002; (1). http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/newsroom/jcnm/02spring/conklin/. Accessed March 30, 2015.
52.3.a	The article notes that a goal for time spent in a cafeteria would be 26 minutes assuming 20 minutes of time spent at the table for students to eat. Allowing 4 minutes for travel to and from the cafeteria, a total lunch period could last 30 minutes.
52.3.b	The authors note that the studies summarized in the article can be used to advocate for reasonable lunch times, allowing students a minimum of 20 minutes at the table to eat.

This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.

52. Mindful eating