By: Kate McLaughlin
School lunch is an important piece of many children's lives - not just in the United States, but globally. I took a dive into different countries school lunch programs and menus! I analysed school lunch offerings from the United States, Brazil, Italy, Finland, South Korea, France, Greece, Ukraine, and Spain. I give my humble opinion on the school lunch offerings in regards to nutrition and include a few quick fixes to make some of them healthier.
Scroll on to find out more!
Disclaimer: According to the article researched, not all these images taken from this site are exact representations of a countries school lunch, but offer resemblance.
School lunches from around the world:
United States School Lunch: Fried "popcorn" chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit cup and a chocolate chip cookie.
Kate's Opinion: There is a lot of processed food here. Additionally, the protein is breaded/fried and the source of fruit is a processed fruit cup. I was happy to see peas!
Quick fixes: Offer fresh fruit instead of processed fruit cup. Offer grilled chicken bites instead of fried. Decrease the size of dessert or don't offer it at all. Save the treats for a special occasion!
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Brazil School Lunch: Pork with mixed veggies, black beans and rice, salad, bread and baked plantains.
Kate's Opinion: I thought this was a great selection of fresh foods. I love that the baked plantain is the source of dessert. The fresh baked bread is a great addition to this plate as well as the large salad of greens. YUM!
Quick Fix: Perhaps the serving side of the rice and beans could be considered large. Perhaps cut down on the rice and beans and increase the salad and protein sizes.
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Italy School Lunch: Local fish on a bed of arugula, pasta with tomato sauce, caprese salad, baguette and some grapes.
Kate's Opinion: I love the amount of greens on this plate and the fresh baked bread. Both great sources of nutrition. Similarly to brazil, the fruit is the focus for a dessert. Those grapes look amazing. I love the small pasta side as a carb, but it's not overwhelming the plate. Lastly, serving fish has amazing health and nutrition benefits to children.
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Finland School Lunch: Pea soup, beet salad, carrot salad, bread and pannakkau (dessert pancake) with fresh berries.
Kate's Opinion: This lunch option seemed to be missing a protein. I love the option of the beet and carrot salads and fresh bread! There is a dessert option but it's a bit of a less sugary dessert and includes a focus on fruit for the sweetness.
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South Korea School Lunch: Fish soup, tofu over rice, kimchi and fresh veggies.
Kate's Opinion: This lunch option has great vegetable options but is missing a fruit aspect! I love the offering of tofu as a protein. I thought the serving sizes were good. Note: No dessert offered!
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France School Lunch: Steak, carrots, green beans, cheese and fresh fruit. Kate's Opinion: Wow, steak for school lunch!? This lunch option was very well balanced. My only suggestion would be add a grain or bread as a carb option. The fruit and veggie options were great and healthy serving size options. There also isn't a clear dessert offering unless the fruit could be considered the sweetness of dessert.
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Greece School Lunch: Baked chicken over orzo, stuffed grape leaves, tomato and cucumber salad, fresh oranges, and Greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds.
Kate's Opinion: I loved the baked chicken option. This is a healthy alternative to a fried chicken tender. There is a great balance of protein, fruit and veggies in this lunch option. The orzo looks amazing and could be consider a great carb option.
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Ukraine School Lunch: Mashed potatoes with sausage, borscht, cabbage and syrniki (a dessert pancake).
Kate's Opinion: I think this school lunch option could add more fruit and veggies to the mix. The plate looks quite bland w/ very little color. Additionally, sausage is a high fat protein. There is some room for improvement with this school lunch option.
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Spain School Lunch: Sautéed shrimp over brown rice and vegetables, gazpacho, fresh peppers, bread and an orange.
Kate's Opinion: I love the option for a grilled shrimp option. This is a great way to introduce seafood into a child's diet and get them used to eating fish/seafood. I love the veggie options and the fresh bread. The fruit could second as a dessert and overall I think this is a well balanced lunch option.
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