Pictures of school lunches around the world, and breakfasts

[MrPickins]

There are a few school districts doing a good job, some even in poor States. The vast majority feed our kids crap. Donuts, fruit drink (no actual fruit juice), hot pocket type obscenities a year or more out of date, fresh produce only once a week and, menus nutritionally balanced on a weekly basis rather than daily are the norm for most of the country. We feed prisoners better than elementary school children in this country and it's shameful.

I've got a pretty good view of what school districts across the nation purchase as part of the USDA's Child Nutrition program due to my line of work, and I've noticed that it's generally the larger/more wealthy districts that buy what I would consider to be more nutritious foods.

They tend to utilize more raw commodities and cook a lot of their meals on site, where the smaller (often rural) districts buy a bunch of prepackaged items. Now, while the prepackaged items have gotten a bit more healthy since the regulations have been tightened, prepared fresh is generally going to be better, both in nutrition and taste.

 

[sdifox]

Chili and Cinnamon Roll day was my favorite.

Chile <> chili

 

[TwiceOver]

Chile <> chili

Yes. You are right. But what are you getting at?

 

[nageov3t]

Chile <> chili

only one has beans in it....

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

That's not the real world. If you have to cram a sandwich down your throat at 3 pm in your work environment just to have a meal, you're doing it wrong. Maybe thats what you like, to be working nonstop from dawn till dusk, but I don't live to work, I work to live and spend as little time as possible at my desk. There are too many other important things in this short time we have on earth to spend it working all the time.

That's the routine for me at the moment. Have breakfast, start at 6, work straight till 2-3PM, then have lunch and go home (not necessarily in that order).

I have quite a lot of freedom at the moment, and in a few years I'll be working with a lot less of it, so it's nice to enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[Printer Bandit]

mashed potatoes served with an ice cream scoop...yum.

 

[BoberFett]

mashed potatoes served with an ice cream scoop...yum.

Hellz yeah, I loved the turkey and gravy, with some wax beans on the side.

 

[Colt45]

We never had lunch programs. Maybe in the hood, though.

I brought sammiches.

 

[WelshBloke]

Oh, and I doubt every child in Paris eats that well. Am thinking most if not all of these were hand picked to push an agenda, not to inform.

My wifes taught at a few schools around Europe and she always said that the food in French schools was really good.

Also Italy.

 

[MrPickins]

only one has beans in it....

Now you're trollin.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I've got a pretty good view of what school districts across the nation purchase as part of the USDA's Child Nutrition program due to my line of work, and I've noticed that it's generally the larger/more wealthy districts that buy what I would consider to be more nutritious foods.

They tend to utilize more raw commodities and cook a lot of their meals on site, where the smaller (often rural) districts buy a bunch of prepackaged items. Now, while the prepackaged items have gotten a bit more healthy since the regulations have been tightened, prepared fresh is generally going to be better, both in nutrition and taste.

Don't forget there's a whole 'nuther ' aspect to school lunches. Elementary age kids are in effect third class citizens behind Middle school which is behind HS. That is because the district receives less money for each participating elementary student than for each Middle school student and HS kids return the most. How this affects menus is the youngest receive the poorest quality and fewest choices while HS kids get better quality and more options. From a health and welfare perspective, this is exactly opposite of what should be happening.

With regards to kids choosing crap over better food, all people have to be trained to appreciate good food and it should start when they're young. You don't just build a shiny new mouse trap and expect the mice to line up to use it. I feed mostly current and retired military and it breaks my heart that they've been trained for their entire lives to eat crap food.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Way to cherry pick Seattle school lunches as representative of U.S. schools.

My lunch never looked anything like that, and my kids' dont either. Its so bad they wont eat it, and we feel its better for them to pack it for them anyway, at least we can ensure that it has some semblance of nutrition.

 

[Rage187]

Rectangle pizza + fries + chocolate milk * 4 years = great life

 

[ussfletcher]

Holy cow, those Seattle lunches are downright gourmet compared to what we got at school. There was no preparation beyond just heating things up where I went. One year was better than the rest though when the school received a grant to offer fresh fruit (apples and oranges) for free every day, but as soon as that grant money ended, so did the fruit.

 

[Ns1]

what the fuck are they feeding these kids

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/health-culture/healthy-school-lunch/#!bLcjKD

 

[PlanetJosh]

Yeah they had few menu items that I liked so my mom fixed bag lunches sometimes. I think she went to those cafeterias once at each school just to check them out and that was enough to make her gladly fix some of my lunches.

 

[Sonikku]

what the fuck are they feeding these kids

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/health-culture/healthy-school-lunch/#!bLcjKD

I think I liked the Seattle lunch better.

At my school you had 2 choices for lunch; Take it or leave it. D:

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Way to cherry pick Seattle school lunches as representative of U.S. schools.

That was actually my exact lunch from elementary to high school minus that little pasta salad thing they have. Those grilled cheese sandwiches got tiresome by middle school.

Paris got it going on with their food lol.

Edit: Whoops didn't see that second picture from Seattle. We had nothing like the second picture.

 

[PlanetJosh]

Any bets that half of that pear is to tough to eat in the Seattle lunch pic?

 

[MarkXIX]

Way to cherry pick Seattle school lunches as representative of U.S. schools.

At home my kids eat well, I produce a balanced meal plan with lots of available healthy options.

My kids would KILL for the Seattle lunches shown. They complain frequently about school lunches to the point that my 1st and 3rd graders all but study the monthly lunch menu and plan sack lunches in advance to avoid the worst meals the school serves on a recurring basis.

 

[pontifex]

.. So.. you are a hundred years old?

My sisters and I went to school in the 70s and 80s. Always had school lunches at all levels.

yeah, his post confused me. he said no lunch at school but then he said he got Lunchables. Not sure when they came out, but it's not been that long has it?

 

[lxskllr]

yeah, his post confused me. he said no lunch at school but then he said he got Lunchables. Not sure when they came out, but it's not been that long has it?

Might have been private school. I didn't have bought lunch in grade school. Also, they may do things differently in Canuckistan.

 

[mikeford]

I used to walk half a block from school to McD and bring back a stack of breakfasts to my first class, usually including one for the teacher.