School lunch options differ drastically by country. From four-course meals consisting of roast beef, tabbouleh and apple tart in France to spaghetti with seafood sauce and fish fillet au gratin in Italy, each nation offers unique meal choices for school pupils.
Children worldwide can access various foods to tuck into at lunchtime. At ami Education, we are looking at what school lunches look like worldwide and how these differ by nutrition and variety.
United Kingdom
(Teaching Abroad)
Starting with the home country of AMI's headquarters, UK school canteens have seen drastic changes to the food provided over the years, with a dramatic shift toward more nutritional food in recent years, thanks to Jamie Oliver's Feed Me Better campaign in the noughties. Oliver's campaign increased the standards of school meals and reduced saturated fat, sugar and salt in the food served to children.
Current UK lunch options are far more varied, with increased options for different dietary preferences. Research by the Childen's Food Trust shows that school meals in the UK are consistently more nutritious than packed lunches, providing children with a better foundation for good health.
Typical hot school lunches include vegetarian lasagne, pasta bake, fresh salads, jam roly-poly, and more, with healthy options and some old classics added.
France
(Sweetgreen)
Known for its culinary delights, France offers its pupils slightly more decadent options, including brie, steak, and apple tart, to name a few, whilst adhering to strict nutritional regulations concerning portion sizes, nutritional composition, and cooking methods.
For example, starters containing more than 15% fat can be served up to 4 out of 20 days, which means that salads, grilled chicken with grains and even roast guinea fowl make regular appearances on French school menus.
Italy
(Sweetgreen)
As a nation with a healthier and perhaps more inclusive attitude toward food, it is no surprise that Italians focus on setting up children for healthy eating habits in adult life, and school lunches are the perfect way to promote healthy eating practices. Guidelines state that Italian school lunches must include a starchy dish such as rice or pasta, a main course such as meat, fish, cheese, two or more vegetable side dishes, and plenty of fruit.
Besides, Italian law is stricter regarding unhealthy food on school menus and forbids cafeterias from serving deep-fried food such as chips and fried chicken. Therefore, popular lunch items include minestrone, mushroom risotto, and the occasional scoop of gelato.
Greece
Unlike the other countries in this list, lunch is considered the main meal of the day in Greece, which means pupils often eat lunch at home or bring a packed lunch to school, and therefore, many schools don't offer subsidised school lunches. However, schools that serve lunch offer options including baked chicken with orzo, cucumber and tomato salad, stuffed vine leaves and yoghurt with fruit for dessert.
Sweden
(Casey Lehman)
Research shows that receiving free or reduced-price school lunches reduces food insecurity, obesity rates, and poor health. What sets Sweden apart from other countries is that since 1997, all children have had access to a free hot school lunch, which consists of a hot meal, salad buffet, bread, and a drink, with vegetarian options available.
Swedish schools do not serve desserts and soft drinks. In recent years, they have removed options such as pizza and deep-fried food, focusing on healthy and sustainable meal options such as meat or vegetable stew with potatoes, pasta with sauce, and Knäckebröd, Sweden's famous crispy bread.
(The Japan Guy)
Japanese nurseries and middle schools offer pupils school lunches. They are served in the classroom, emphasising nutrition education, teaching pupils how to cook healthy food from scratch, and making students aware of the nutritional components of their food.
Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates globally, likely due to offering pupils food such as miso soup with pork, rice with grilled fish, milk, and dried fruit for dessert.
South Korea
(Sweetgreen)
South Korea is another country known for its healthy school lunch offerings and emphasis on health education. Since pupils are encouraged to partake in various extracurricular activities after school, they need healthy lunch options to sustain them into the evening. Popular dishes include fried rice with tofu, kimchi, fish soup and mixed green vegetables.
America
Lastly, America is famous for its numerous junk food offerings and fast food outlets on every corner. In US schools, the National School Lunch Programme provides low-cost or free school lunches to 31 million students at more than 100,000 schools per day, and meals must meet the nutritional standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
However, tight budgets and unhealthy school vendors have meant that lunches served in some US schools (but not all) are highly processed and lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. These lunches often look like popcorn chicken with French fries, mashed potatoes, fruit cups, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Resources for schools:
- Taking cash out of schools
- Why do schools need queue management?
- Why pre-ordering meals are essential for schools
