Children's "Eating Alone" Worsens During Long School Breaks, With Risks of Skipping Meals; Analysis Reveals the "Social Structure Creating Eating Alone"

The reality of significant changes in children's meals during long school breaks, when school lunches are unavailable, has become clear. A survey conducted by NPO Good Neighbors Japan (Headquarters: Ota Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tomo Koizumi) among low-income single-parent households using the "Good Gohan" food bank operated by the organization revealed that the proportion of children eating two or fewer meals a day during long breaks increases by approximately three times compared to periods when school is in session.

Furthermore, it was shown that children who frequently eat alone during long breaks tend to have unstable meal intake in terms of quantity and quality.

The findings suggest that "societal structures" such as parents' employment conditions, income structures, and limitations in accessing support play a role in this phenomenon.

Key Survey Findings:

- During long breaks, the number of children eating two or fewer meals a day increases by approximately three times. - The most frequent response for eating alone during long breaks was "almost every day," with over 50% experiencing it more than half the week. - Those who frequently eat alone are more prone to unbalanced nutrition, skipping meals, and picky eating. - Children eating alone increases during long breaks when parents are absent due to work. - Constraints on parents' working styles and difficulty accessing support are identified as issues.

Survey Overview:

"Survey on the Actual Situation of Children Eating Alone During Long School Breaks in Single-Parent Households"

- Survey Period: June 4 - June 15, 2026 - Participants: Parents with elementary to high school children who are users of "Good Gohan," Good Neighbors Japan's food bank service. (If a parent has multiple children in elementary to high school, they were asked to respond regarding the youngest child.) ("Good Gohan" users are generally limited to those holding a medical expense subsidy certificate for single-parent households, which is a medical certificate issued to single-parent households raising children under 18, with income below a certain limit, and not receiving public assistance.) - Response Method: Input via an online survey form. - Number of Valid Responses: 1,388 - Respondent Demographics: - Gender: Female 1,346 (97.0%) | Male 25 (1.8%) (Gender not specified: 17) - Age: 20s 11 (0.8%) | 30s 237 (17.1%) | 40s 764 (55.0%) | 50s 363 (26.2%) | 60s and over 11 (0.8%) (Age not specified: 2) - Region: Greater Tokyo Area (mainly Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba) 554 (39.9%) | Kinki Region (mainly Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara) 532 (38.3%) | Kyushu Region (mainly Saga, Fukuoka) 302 (21.8%)

Detailed Survey Results:

Children Skipping Meals Becomes Apparent During Long Breaks

Regarding children's meal situations during long breaks, the survey revealed that the proportion of children eating two or fewer meals a day increased by approximately three times compared to periods when school is in session.

Standard Number of Meals per Day for Children

The primary reason for reduced meal frequency was "lack of financial余裕 (yoyuu - leeway/余裕), making it difficult to prepare sufficient meals at home," cited by about 40%, followed by "disruption of the child's daily rhythm" at about 30%.

Reasons for Reduced Number of Meals per Day for Children During Long School Breaks

Children Eating Alone Spreads During Long Breaks

In addition to these factors, an analysis was conducted on the relationship between the environment in which children eat and the number of meals.

The results showed that among those who frequently ate alone during long breaks:

- A higher proportion reported a "decrease" in meal frequency. - Conversely, a higher proportion also reported an "increase." - The proportion reporting "no change" was relatively low.

Changes in Children's Daily Meal Frequency During Long Breaks Compared to School Periods [By Frequency of Children Eating Alone or with Siblings]

These results suggest that groups with a high frequency of eating alone tend to have more variable meal frequencies overall. In other words, it indicates a potential link to "instability" in meal timing and frequency.

Risks Associated with Eating Alone

Such variations in meal frequency can easily lead to inconsistencies in meal times and content, potentially causing disruption to daily rhythms and nutritional imbalances.

In fact, when parents were asked about difficulties they experienced with their children's meals when eating alone during long breaks, about 60% cited "nutritional imbalance" and "irregular meal times" respectively. A certain number of respondents also indicated situations leading to picky eating and skipped meals, such as "only eating what they like" and "skipping meals" (multiple responses).

Parents' Concerns Regarding Meal Content When Children Eat Alone or with Siblings During Long Breaks (Multiple Responses)

Free-response answers also expressed concerns about children eating alone and potential emotional impacts on children.

- "When they are alone, they eat less or don't eat at all." - "During long breaks, my child eats lunch alone due to my work schedule. I prepare make-ahead meals and frozen foods for convenience, but I worry if they feel lonely eating alone. Also, when I'm not around, they tend to eat only what they like, so I worry about their nutritional balance." - "Sometimes they say they feel lonely eating alone." - "They wake up late and eat after I leave for work. Even if I prepare vegetables and side dishes, they don't eat them." - "I worry if they get lonely eating alone, or if they might get injured using the microwave or hot water."

Analysis of the Specifics of Eating Alone During Long Breaks

Frequency of Children Eating Alone

Regarding the frequency of children eating alone or with siblings in an environment without adult supervision during long breaks, over 50% responded "almost every day" or "about 4-5 days a week," indicating that in many households, children eat alone for more than half the week.

Frequency of Children Eating Alone or with Siblings Without Adult Supervision During Long Breaks

Child's Grade Level

Looking at the breakdown by grade level, there was a tendency for the frequency of children eating alone to increase with higher grades.

However, even among lower elementary school grades, the proportion responding "almost every day" or "about 4-5 days a week" totaled 25.6%, indicating that about one in four children eat alone for more than half the week.

Child's Grade Level Breakdown [By Frequency of Children Eating Alone or with Siblings During Long Breaks]

Time of Occurrence

During long breaks, "lunch" was overwhelmingly cited as the time children eat alone, accounting for about 90% (multiple responses). This suggests that the risk of children eating alone is concentrated during the time when school lunches would normally be provided.

Time of Day Children Eat Alone or with Siblings During Long Breaks (Multiple Responses)

Number of Occurrences Per Day

Nearly 50% of cases during long breaks involved children eating alone or with siblings multiple times a day, indicating that solitary meals are not isolated incidents but occur across multiple meal opportunities.

Number of Times Children Eat Alone or with Siblings Per Day During Long Breaks

Background of Eating Alone: Parental Absence Due to Work

One of the backgrounds for children eating alone is parents being away from home for work.

In this survey, when asked about the times parents were away from home for work during long breaks, "lunchtime" was cited by about 90% (multiple responses).

Times Parents Are Away from Home for Work During Children's Long Breaks (Multiple Responses)

Furthermore, regarding the impact on children's meals due to parental absence for work during long breaks, approximately 80% responded that "children increasingly eat alone or with siblings" (multiple responses).

Situations Arising in Children's Meals Due to Parental Absence for Work During Long Breaks (Multiple Responses)

Why Does Eating Alone Occur? Focusing on Parents' Working Styles

To understand the background of parental absence, an analysis was conducted focusing on parents' employment conditions.

First, regarding parents' working styles during long breaks, 70% responded, "Reducing working hours affects income, so it's necessary to secure working hours." This was followed by "difficulty in flexibly adjusting working hours or days."

This suggests that parents need to secure a certain number of working hours to maintain their income, and due to the difficulty in flexibly adjusting their working hours, they are consequently forced to be away from home during their children's meal times.

Parents' Working Styles During Children's Long Breaks (Multiple Responses)

Next, regarding parents' employment status during long breaks, "non-regular employment" accounted for over 50%.

Parents' Employment Status During Children's Long Breaks

In the case of non-regular employment, there are often limitations on the flexibility of work location and type, making it difficult to choose where to work. In fact, a survey on the implementation of telework in domestic companies [1] shows that only about 30% of companies offer telework to non-regular employees.

These employment constraints are considered one reason why parents may not be able to be at home, leading to children spending time and eating meals alone.

Parents who responded to this survey provided the following comments regarding the necessity of spending time on work for their livelihood during long breaks and the difficulty of working flexibly:

- "Every long vacation, I strongly feel the difficulty of balancing work and childcare. I have to work to protect my children's lives." - "I want to be with them if I could, but I'm struggling to afford to prepare meals, so I can't take time off, and the time they spend alone increases." - "If I take time off, I might get fired or be unable to make a living, so it's unthinkable." - "It would be great if I could work flexibly, such as remotely, even just during the long break, but such options are rare." - "I have to work to live, and I worry that my absence due to work leads to irregular and unhealthy lifestyles for my children, and that they might turn to delinquency."

Gap Between Support Needs and Utilization

As a measure to address children eating alone, the use of places and services provided by private organizations and government bodies where children can spend time, including meals, is considered.

Therefore, we analyzed the usage of these external places and services among respondents who reported that children eat alone or with siblings at least one day a week during long breaks.

The results showed that the most frequent response was "I want to use them, but I can hardly/cannot use them at all," accounting for nearly 60%.

Usage of External Places and Services Where Children Can Spend Time, Including Meals, During Long Breaks (Extracted respondents who reported children eating alone or with siblings at least one day a week during long breaks)

Furthermore, it was confirmed that those who could not utilize these places and services tended to have a higher frequency of children eating alone.

Usage of External Places and Services Where Children Can Spend Time, Including Meals, During Long Breaks [By Frequency of Children Eating Alone or with Siblings During Long Breaks]

Reasons for not being able to fully utilize these places and services included financial burden, time constraints for parents, and a lack of available facilities, indicating a situation where accessing necessary support is difficult.

Reasons for Not Being Able to Fully Utilize External Places and Services Where Children Can Spend Time, Including Meals, During Long Breaks (Multiple Responses / Extracted respondents who reported children eating alone or with siblings at least one day a week during long breaks)

The Structure Surrounding Children Eating Alone

Based on the results of this survey, organizing the trends among respondents suggests the following structure regarding children's meal environments during long breaks:

Parents need to secure a certain number of working hours to maintain their income and have difficulty flexibly adjusting their working hours, days, or locations.

This leads to situations where they cannot be at home during their children's meal times.

As a result, children eat alone or with siblings, leading to "eating alone."

Eating alone leads to unstable meal quality and quantity.

From these circumstances, it is considered that children eating alone and skipping meals during long breaks are influenced by societal structures surrounding working styles, such as parents' employment conditions and income structures that necessitate reliance on working hours.

In particular, for the low-income single-parent households targeted in this survey, there are often environments where only one adult is responsible for childcare within the household, and due to economic hardship, they are frequently compelled to secure working hours, with limited options for working styles. Consequently, they are more susceptible to the effects of these social structures, and the risk of children eating alone is likely to increase.

Furthermore, as the survey confirmed the difficulty in accessing places and services where children can spend time, including meals, during long breaks, there is room for consideration regarding the nature of social support.

In other words, it is suggested that the issue of children's meals is not merely an individual family problem but is closely related to "social structures."

Discussion: The Structure Surrounding Children Eating Alone During Long Breaks

Protecting Children's Food in Society

As measures to address children eating alone and skipping meals during long breaks, the following approaches can be considered:

- Public provision of places and opportunities for children to have meals, primarily lunch, during long breaks. - Consideration of income support to enable people to maintain their livelihoods without excessive reliance on working hours. - Development of employment environments that allow families with children to work flexibly, such as remote work and flextime systems.

All children have the right to eat sufficient meals in a safe environment. To protect this right, the creation of systems for society as a whole and actions that can be taken by each individual are required.

Good Neighbors Japan will be strengthening food distribution to single-parent households and providing places for children to spend time and lunch during this summer break, working to protect children's meal environments.

[1] Source: Japan Telework Association (2026) "Comprehensive Survey Report on Telework Labor Management, etc."

Request Regarding Citation/Reference of Survey Results:

When citing or referencing these survey results, please clearly state the source as "NPO Good Neighbors Japan."

Furthermore, this survey was conducted targeting low-income single-parent households using Good Neighbors Japan's food bank service "Good Gohan" and does not represent data for all single-parent households in Japan. Therefore, when citing or referencing these survey results, please use them in a way that conveys the scope of this survey's target audience.

About the Organization:

NPO Good Neighbors Japan was established in 2004 as a member of the international organization Good Neighbors International. Aiming for "a society where children's smiles abound and everyone can live with dignity," it supports children both domestically and internationally. It is recognized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as an "NPO" with high public interest.

Official Website: https://www.gnjp.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gnjapan X: https://x.com/GNJapan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gn_japan/

What is "Good Gohan," a Food Bank for Single-Parent Households?

"Good Gohan" is a service that distributes food free of charge every month to single-parent households that hold a medical expense subsidy certificate for single-parent households and have income below a certain limit. Since the service began in September 2017, food has been delivered to over 170,000 households cumulatively.*

At approximately 30-40 distribution points in the Greater Tokyo Area, Kinki Region, and Kyushu, we distribute a basket of food worth about ¥10,000, including rice, seasonings, retort pouches, and snacks, collected through donations from companies and individuals, to single-parent households.*

*As of December 2025 (number of distribution points varies monthly) https://www.gnjp.org/work/domestic/gohan/

*Normally, food is distributed to those who can pick it up directly at the distribution points. *Those receiving public assistance are not eligible.

Regarding Various Surveys Targeting Low-Income Single-Parent Households Using the Food Bank "Good Gohan":

Good Neighbors Japan has published a list of various surveys conducted targeting low-income single-parent households using the food bank "Good Gohan" on the following page.

▶https://www.gnjp.org/survey/

These surveys quantitatively and qualitatively visualize the diverse challenges faced by single-parent households, including meals, income, children's experiences, and isolation. Please take a look.