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Instructions

1. Choose a country other than the USA for your post

2. Upload an image, drawing, or video of a typical school lunch from that country

3. Write the country name in the subject field

4. Compare the lunch to a typical USA school lunch in the description, noting similarities and differences in nutrition, presentation, and cultural aspects

Each student should create one post representing, ideally, a different country’s school lunch program.

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What School Lunch Looks Like Across the World

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What School Lunch Looks Like Across the World

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To get started on this assignment, please review the following YouTube Video on What School Lunch Looks Like Around The World. Then complete your own review and add a Global Breakfast/Lunch Photo Journey. Thank You, Dr. Kronmuller

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What School Lunch Looks Like Around The World | Around The World | Food Insider

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As I learned about school lunches from Taiwan and the U.S., I noticed some key similarities and differences between the two.

To begin, I want to address some similarities I noticed. First, I noticed how each country prioritizes portion sizes. Specifically, I think back to my experience in elementary school where I would get a tray and have a "main dish" and have a little bit of all of the sides. From the video, school lunches in Taiwan also seem to prioritize getting a little bit of everything to complete their meal. Another key similarity that stood out to me is the dairy-based beverage option. Again, from my experience with school lunches, kids were always provided with a variety of milk options to go with their lunch, and in the video from Taiwan, kids appeared to similarly have the choice of a yogurt drink to go with their lunch. These behaviors are similar to the MyPlate guidelines.

With that said, I did also notice some key differences. The most significant difference to me is how school lunches in Taiwan look like homemade dishes, unlike U.S. lunches that often consist of processed foods. In my experience, I never had a school lunch that reminded me of a homemade meal. This leads me to the next key difference I noticed, which is the overall quality of the ingredients to make the lunches. In Taiwan, the school lunches appear to consist of a variety of colorful and whole food options that provide a nutritious meal. The meal also consisted of cultural food staples such as rice and soup. Contrastingly, U.S. school lunches, from my experiences, consist of processed foods or "sticky carbs," that make the tray have an overall beige color. Also, despite having fruits and vegetables, I have noticed that they are not always of the best quality.

Overall, school lunches in Taiwan and the U.S. share some key similarities alongside some key differences.

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Lunches served in Japanese schools are very different from lunches in the US. In Japan, nutritional policies and interventions are key components when it comes to creating school lunches. They have policies that require a balanced meal consisting of a main dish, like meat, fish, or soybeans as the protein, along with staple dishes, like bread or rice, which they believe provide the body with energy, and side dishes that contain vitamins and minerals. The side dishes are a source of vegetables that are currently in season.

After World War II, Japan had a mission to eliminate nutritional deficiencies. With their new nutrition policy, they have done a great job in decreasing malnutrition. The policy also helped train specialists which is why dietitians plays a key role in creating the school lunches, similar to the US.

Similar to US lunches, in Japan the serving amounts are set according to the stage of growth and age the child is at. Another similarity between the two is that both aim to provide a food from each macronutrient category and meet the established guidelines put in place.

Some differences found in Japan is that they provide more nutrition education in their school. This clearly explains why the children seem to enjoy eating healthier, non-processed foods compared to the US. Adding on to that point, Japanese lunches provide more whole foods and well-prepared vegetables, in forms that children will actually enjoy. Everything in the lunch is cooked from scratch and locally.

Another prominent difference in Japan is that the students all get the same tray of food. In the US, the children are given more independence to choose which food they want, for example they can choose carrots or broccoli and can also choose to pack a lunch. Japanese students eat their lunches together in the classroom and are involved in the serving and cleanup task. They also all make a sort of prayer to express gratitude for their lunch and the people involved in the process of making it before eating. In the US, it's more of a buffet-style of picking and a dedicated cafeteria for eating. Children start to eat as soon as they have their food, so lunch is more of a chaotic scene.

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School lunch in Japan is very different than the lunches we serve in school to children in the United States. Their lunches focus on nutrition and cost efficiency. These lunches typically involve some sort of meat or fish, a serving of rice, soup, meat, and a serving of vegetables. They also focus on all meals being made from scratch. I will say, some of these priorities are similar to schools in the United States. Within recent years, schools have been focusing a lot on supplying nutrient-dense foods to their students. However, we still have a lot of unhealthy options that are often more appealing to young students, such as pizza. There are more cultural aspects involved in the Japanese school foods, including the common use of rice and soup. There is also a wider variety of foods that students get that is considered to be a "meal." In the US, it is often an "entree", such as pizza or chicken tenders, a fruit, such as an apple or a banana, and then a drink, such as a carton of milk or a bottle of water.

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In this video above i enjoyed how they focused more on the culture and preparation of their Japanese lunch. While in america you get either cafetera food or what you brought with you. In this video the student brings a table cloth, chopsticks, toothbrush, and mug to spit her toothpaste in. In america we typically do not partake in that. Her lunch was fried fish with pear sauce, five veggie soup, and farm mash potato's. In America schools they usually serve pizza, tater-tots, and/or canned veggies. Japan has a better source of protein with their lunches and after lunch they give thanks for the meal. Their culture presents gratitude, while also practicing self care by brushing their teeth after the meal. In the video it shows how active the community is with one another. I feel in our public schools we lack community, usually with airpods in or some type of video playing. We did share similar lunches by presenting, veggies, protein, and carbs.

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School Lunch in Japan - It's Not Just About Eating!

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Lunches in France focus on filling the major food groups of dairy, meat, grain, fruit and vegetables. when compared to food in the US the portions are much smaller than a typical US lunch. Another thing to note is that their lunches are much cleaner and healthier than the typical US school lunch, in America a school lunch is typically very greasy and more about caloric density than it is about high quality foods. Meals are made fresh in France as apposed to in the US where they are made in large batches and left out in heating pans. They are also given real plates and cutlery when compared to the single use paper and plastic utensils given in US public schools. All together they receive something far better than that which is provided to American students.

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As you can see in this photo above, I am comparing school lunches in Spain to the US. Spanish school lunches are known to generally be healthier, fresh, and can sometimes be structured as mandatory. This means children are not allowed to bring lunch from home. This is different than USA lunches. Many times we see children packing their own lunches and bringing that to school instead of eating the meals the school provides. Mandatory school lunches in Spain ensures the children are eating a whole food, balanced meal. Picky eating is also not tolerable and I find that very interesting. The children are required to branch out their taste buds and eat everything on the plate. In the US, children are not required to eat anything, and they can bring whatever snacks and meals they want to. in Spain, students are also allowed to have a 2-hour break for lunch. This is so they can eat with their families, or in the cafeteria followed with supervised play. In the US this is very different. Children only get about 45 minutes to eat or sometimes even less. One similarity I found between the two lunches would be the balance of them. We can see a fruit/veggie, a carb, and a protein. The USA school lunches structure their meals the same way, just different food choices.

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Finnish school lunches include a hot protein such as beef or chicken. For the sides their lunches contain one vegetable, slice of bread, and a dairy item for a beverage. Water can also be added to the lunch. Most children are able to qualify for free lunches as well as snacks for after school activities. The difference between Finnish and American school lunches are slim. Unlike Finnish schools, lunches in America may not always be a free hot lunch. American lunches are also most fast paced, and highly processed. Sodium is an ingredient that Finland attempts to avoid in their lunches. Finland focuses more on learning correct manners during lunch time rather than a break from learning.

-Sarah Adolfson

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A Day in a Finnish School Cafeteria | Daily Dish Diaries

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Korean school lunches and typical U.S. school lunches share the same goal of providing students with balanced meals, but they differ significantly in nutrition, presentation, and cultural meaning. Korean lunches are often freshly prepared and include a variety of ingredients such as rice, soup, vegetables, and protein like fish or meat. This variety promotes balanced nutrition, with an emphasis on whole foods, fermented items like kimchi, and lower levels of processed ingredients. In contrast, many U.S. school lunches rely more on prepackaged or processed foods, such as pizza, chicken nuggets, or sandwiches, though efforts have been made to improve nutritional standards with fruits, vegetables, and milk. Presentation also differs notably. Korean lunches are typically served in organized trays with separate sections for each dish, creating a visually appealing and structured meal. U.S. lunches are often less uniform, sometimes served in disposable containers with fewer distinct components.

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A typical school lunch in the Netherlands is simple. Most students bring food from home, usually whole grain bread sandwiches with cheese or deli meat, fruit, and milk or water. The meals are quick and not heavily processed.

Compared to the U.S., Dutch lunches are smaller and more basic. U.S. school lunches often include hot foods like pizza or chicken sandwiches and tend to be more processed. Both include grains, protein, and dairy, but the Netherlands focuses more on whole foods.

Culturally, lunch in the Netherlands is just a quick break, not a large meal. In the U.S., lunch is more structured and often a bigger part of the day. Overall, the Dutch approach is simple and balanced.

-Mark Englund