What school lunches look like in 20 countries...

[I.Dup.]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/what-school-lunches-look-like-in-20-countries-arou?s=mobile

 

Has anyone seen this? What do you think?

[Aurelia]

Interesting! The American food looks awful.

[kalanamak]

What do you think?

 

 

That I was from Singapore or a Taiwan in my past life.

[AuntieM]

I think I would love a school lunch from Brazil or Italy, yum!

 

Those children in Ghana appeared to be absolutely thrilled with their simple bowls of rice. What beautiful faces...

[I.Dup.]

I thought all of the lunches look HUGE (except for the avocado and the porridge :( ) and yes, the American food does look disgusting. None look particuarly appetizing to me, except the Italian food. :D

[BabyBre]

That is interesting. Most of it does look better than what I see in our cafeteria, but some looks just as bad with regard to preparation (fried, processed, etc.). There certainly are more vegetables in most of the others. In our schools here, fruits and vegetables (the only unprocessed food offered) are entirely optional! But the main item (usually pizza, a cheeseburger, nachos, chicken nuggets, etc.) must be taken, whether kids want it or not. They get their choice of nasty main item, but it's usually a choice between nasty and nastier.

 

As with many things in public education, the lessons they're teaching are entirely the wrong ones and then they have the audacity to tell us we're obese and they need to do something about it. (Hot topic for me, so I'm going to stop here.)

[Mejane]

I think it's no wonder we have the obesity and health issues we have in this country.

[TeacherZee]

Well they've misslabled the Swedish food. There isn't any crackers on that tray. It's crispbread and is SUPER healthy. In all I think school lunches here have gotten better since I went to school. The school where I work they have an amazing salad buffet every day:D

[susankenny]

Honestly, I thought most of the lunches looked pretty darn yummy & seemed like an accurate reflection of each culture.

 

 

Susan

[In The Great White North]

They didn't put the prices on those.

 

At one school I know of in Switzerland, lunch is 11 CHF. (about $13), 9 CHF for the meatless option.

[TeacherZee]

They didn't put the prices on those.

 

At one school I know of in Switzerland, lunch is 11 CHF. (about $13), 9 CHF for the meatless option.

 

Well the Swedish lunch would have cost the student nothing. School lunches here are free for everyone.

[happypamama]

I think that is one huge plate of fries from France! Yes, the American lunch looks icky. The meals that were just avocado or just rice make me want to cry. I also am impressed at how large several of the meals were -- like ones that included both rice and beans AND a meat entree plus sides -- wow!

 

I am also thinking that I am now really, really hungry! With a few exceptions, a lot of those actually looked really good, and the variety was very interesting. Thanks for posting this link!

[Dawn in OH]

I've lived in America all my life, and I have to say that the American lunches looked absolutely repulsive to me.

 

While most of the Asian meals have foods American children would find odd, or even gross, those lunches looked the most nutritious for the most part.

[JessReplanted]

How sad that some kids get so much while others get so little.

 

And, I'm so thankful that worrying about unhealthy school meals is not an issue I have to deal with every day. Feeding my kids at home every day may drive me crazy, but at least I don't have to wonder what they are eating.

[CalicoKat]

Rice. Why isn't it a staple in the US? I wonder if it's more or less expensive than instant mashed potatoes.

[sewingmama]

I don't know if those pictures are so accurate. I taught in Korea for a year and most of the school lunches did not look like that - they consisted of similar things but a lot grosser and poorer quality.

 

In case anyone is interested - in Australia kids mostly bring their own lunch from home or buy something from the school canteen but it's not served on plates or anything - it's takeaway:)

[In the Rain]

Interesting. It was nice to see lots of veggies on many of the trays. I was surprised to see milk in Japan. I thought dairy products weren't big there.

[elise1mds]

That's it. I'm moving to Slovakia. What I noticed more than anything else about the American lunches was the sheer quantity of white/beige (and I love how corn is still considered a vegetable). Eating the rainbow doesn't always refer to Skittles!

[justamouse]

Wow, that American food looked disgusting, and it looked disgusting when I was a kid.

 

I want kimchee...I feel a sushi day coming on tomorrow.

[BeckyFL]

Boy do we serve our kids a bunch of crap. Can't think of more fitting word. Sorry!

[gardening momma]

While most of the Asian meals have foods American children would find odd, or even gross, those lunches looked the most nutritious for the most part.

I agree. Even though I don't particularly like Asian food in general, they looked much healthier and interesting than the American food. I would definitely try some of the Asian choices pictured.

[8circles]

The czech meals looked really accurate. Scarily so. At least at the university level.

 

That's it. I'm moving to Slovakia.

 

I know! So much healthy stuff on that plate! I remember once on a field trip (CZ, not SK) among other things we were each given a whole red pepper to eat like an apple. I've eaten them that way ever since.

[KristinaBreece]

The czech meals looked really accurate. Scarily so. At least at the university level.

 

 

 

I know! So much healthy stuff on that plate! I remember once on a field trip (CZ, not SK) among other things we were each given a whole red pepper to eat like an apple. I've eaten them that way ever since.

 

That's how my DD prefers to eat her bell peppers. DS like his neat & sliced with yogurt dip, but DD wants hers whole. :tongue_smilie:

[Julie Smith]

I know! So much healthy stuff on that plate! I remember once on a field trip (CZ, not SK) among other things we were each given a whole red pepper to eat like an apple. I've eaten them that way ever since.

 

My dh was big on bell peppers. My boys now are somewhat into them. They sometimes have a favorite color; red, yellow, or orange.

 

I never cook them for them. On average they each eat 5 peppers a week. Sometimes I cut them into bracelets. Other times I will cut off them top and fill it with water so they can drink from it like a cup.

 

We eat lots of raw stuff here, and not many dips at all. I have 'made' meals of just raw fruits and vegetables.

 

Once we went to our neighbors for lunch. I warned the boys they would have to eat all the vegetables they get served. They ate them all and had seconds. But neither wanted to eat the plain white rice? We often have rice at home so I don't know why.

[Heather in Neverland]

In my school here in Malaysia we have a full, healthy salad bar every day along with a sandwich choice, an "asian" choice that is similar to the Singapore/Japan/Korea pics, and a "western" choice that is similar to what we in America would make for dinner (spaghetti, beef stroganoff, etc), and two different drink choices. The total cost to the student is RM6.50 per day (which is about $2 USD). Our lunches are wonderful and healthy (for the most part).

[MorganClassicalPrep]

:tongue_smilie:

I just discovered a new diet plan. I'll travel to another country... where clearly I will lose weight because... 99% of those meals looked.... um.. not my style!!

:D

 

Even more than the different types of food (which, it is amazing how much better children in many other countries eat), I was struck by how joyous the children who recieved just rice were. It made me smile.

[LibraryLover]

I am a freaky--freak organic person, and I did love all the foods, as I love food! Kimchee and avocados are favs!! I had to go back and look at the US foods as I thought they would be much worse, and I passed them by the first time. lol I went back and saw beans & rice (looked like a chili), carrots, chicken, corn, pizza in the dark lol, banana etc. I would eat all of that (although I don't much eat white rice or pasta), although maybe not the milk or the hot dog. At our local public high school we have a nice sald bar, and a veggie option (usually veggie burger or pasta).

Edited April 18, 2011 by LibraryLover

[AuntieM]

I am a freaky--freak organic person, and I did love all the foods, as I love food! Kimchee and avocados are favs!! I had to go back and look at the US foods as I thought they would be much worse, and I passed them by the first time. lol I went back and saw beans & rice (looked like a chili), carrots, chicken, corn, pizza in the dark lol, banana etc. I would eat all of that (although I don't much eat white rice or pasta), although maybe not the milk or the hot dog. At our local public high school we have a nice sald bar, and a veggie option (usually veggie burger or pasta).

 

I really could eat a bowl full of avocados for lunch! I *love* them!

[LG Gone Wild]

Love the kimchi! American food looked disgusting and it was like that when I was a kid. Blech.

 

Steamed white rice isn't evil!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Most of the other countries (with the exception of the very poor ones) had much more food than we usually serve at lunchtime. They also chose foods that we tend to think of more in terms of dinner foods rather than "lunch" foods. I think that the meals served in real dishes looked more appetizing. I did feel that no matter what the country, the french fries did not look very healthy or appetizing.

[myfatherslily]

Has anyone seen this? What do you think?

 

I think... you would all be appalled at what I feed my kids!:tongue_smilie: I was really pleased with myself when I fed them 1/2 hamburger on a whole wheat sandwich thin, pork and beans, and canned pineapple! I actually cooked! Okay, so the hamburgers were frozen, already-shaped patties, and the other items required almost no prep, but whatever!

 

I'm also thinking that I need to make rice more. I do like rice:)

[LaissezFaire]

I would have died of pure happiness if I had an artichoke on my tray when I was in school. YUM!

[regentrude]

Most of the other countries (with the exception of the very poor ones) had much more food than we usually serve at lunchtime. They also chose foods that we tend to think of more in terms of dinner foods rather than "lunch" foods.

 

In many countries, traditionally the mid day meal is the large hot meal of the day. So this is the meal school would have to provide.

[Ibbygirl]

Wow! I can't believe they actually serve them mussels in France! That would be so pricey here. I wish I could eat lunch in Japan. :drool5: That was a really interesting link. Thanks so much for sharing it OP. :)

Edited April 20, 2011 by Ibbygirl

[Ibbygirl]

Rice. Why isn't it a staple in the US? I wonder if it's more or less expensive than instant mashed potatoes.

 

It is actually in many US communities. :) I grew up eating rice almost every day and cook that way as well. :)

[Ravin]

The meals that were just avocado or just rice make me want to cry.

 

The thing that got me is, a lot of those kids the lunch at school might be the only food they got all day, or they might get a meal at home that wasn't much more than rice or taro mush with a little bit of sauce (like the one lunch). An avocado is actually a really good meal for a kid who lives at risk of chronic malnutrition, packed as it is with nutrients and fats (brain food!). The porridge-for-lunch the Honduran girl had was probably the saddest sight. It was the only lunch more nutritionally sad than the American ones.

 

I kind of wonder about the milk on the Japanese lunches. It must be a mandated inclusion. I can't help but wonder why. Aren't most Japanese people lactose intolerant?:confused:

 

Rice. Why isn't it a staple in the US? I wonder if it's more or less expensive than instant mashed potatoes.

 

Less, if you buy it in bulk. Of course, a lot of Americans think of that instant minute rice (or worse, the kind ready-made in microwave pouches) as "rice." We get ours in bulk, preferably from the Asian market where it's even cheaper than at Walmart. We also buy our potatoes as actual potatoes much of the time (though we did get plain potato flakes for DD's mashed potato phase; I refuse to fix the stuff though, it's gross), usually when they're on sale. We eat a lot of rice here, though not every day.

[TheReader]

The Brazil lunch is not entirely accurate. The expensive private schools *might* have that much meat portion, but the public schools I do not think would.

 

My boys don't attend school, but have friends that do and we've eaten with them. Also, my dh is provided lunch at work (many employers have an on-site cafeteria; by law, they must provide meals to employees, in the form of actual food or vouchers for restaurants nearby) -- that's about the amount of meat he gets in his lunch. So, definitely not the amount they'd be serving to kids.

 

Otherwise it seems accurate, though most would not have bread with lunch, and I have never seen a full banana on a lunch buffet anywhere. Fruit/bread would be more of a breakfast item. Maybe they combined the two for the photo.

[TheReader]

I think that is one huge plate of fries from France! Yes, the American lunch looks icky. The meals that were just avocado or just rice make me want to cry. I also am impressed at how large several of the meals were -- like ones that included both rice and beans AND a meat entree plus sides -- wow!

 

I am also thinking that I am now really, really hungry! With a few exceptions, a lot of those actually looked really good, and the variety was very interesting. Thanks for posting this link!

 

Well, the Brazil one at least wouldn't really have those large of portions.

 

Also, lunch is the biggest meal of the day here, where as in the US it's dinner/the evening meal. So that's part of it.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Wow! Many of those meals looked scrumptious. I love all the veggies being served.

 

I have to say, the American meals actually looked better than what I saw when I volunteered for lunch duty the first two years my kids were in public school. It was mostly white bread based and canned fruit and some things that looked like meat-type products. Really gross.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/what-school-lunches-look-like-in-20-countries-arou?s=mobile

 

Has anyone seen this? What do you think?

 

What I noticed living in Germany was similar to what was mentioned with the French lunches. The expectation was that kids were going to eat real food.

 

There were baby food combos with fish or lamb. Combos that weren't so totally pureed that they were just a chunk of mush. (This was for 9mo+).

 

Kids ate a lot of meat and cheese sandwiches. Lots of fruit and vegetables. And these were usually prepared from fresh (or maybe frozen), not from a can.

 

When we did a weekend holiday with our German children's church group, the food was incredible. Venison gulasch (ok, this was out of the ordinary - one father was a hunter and cooked his specialty. But while the meat was unusual, the gulasch wasn't), a cheese/potatoe/zuchinni casserole, fresh pretzels (baked by the man who helped lead the children's church), tea, and lots of fruit.

 

OK, there was also brotchen with jam, beet syrup and butter for breakfast.

 

But just in general, I got the impression that meals in school settings were an opportunity to teach kids how to eat well (nutritionally and politely). They weren't seen as a chance to just feed the kids a meal and move on as quickly as possible.

 

But there was also a general air of food enjoyment (both prep and dining) rather than quick consumption. Asparagus season, for example, was something that was highly anticipated and enjoyed. There was a vegetable/fruit stand at the entrance to our neighborhood. You could get off the bus stop and hit the stand on your walk home. This attitude is something I need to get back to.

 

 

===

On Japan and lactose intolerance. Not sure if this is true. Ice cream was incredibly popular (and good) and there were many milk based drinks in vending machines (ex. banana milk drink).