What’s for Lunch?
School lunches can vary greatly from country to country. From Finland’s healthy, complimentary meals to the USA’s carb-heavy offerings, each country’s plate provides its own unique take on what students receive. With that in mind, here are 20 different school meals from around the world.
1. France
French school lunches are mini three-star gourmet meals. A typical meal will be a salad, meat, vegetable side, bread, cheese, and a tart or fruit for dessert. The idea is that they are meant to be savored slowly to teach the children to enjoy food and to learn balance.
2. Brazil
School lunches in Brazil are often rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and fruit. Meals are centered around whole foods and nutrition over processed products. Brazil invests in local, family-owned farms by buying school meal ingredients from them directly.
3. Russia
Russian school lunches are warm and filling, often featuring a bowl of borscht (beet soup), bread, meat, and grains. Large portions are common because lunch, called obed, is considered the main meal of the day. Students are served comforting, home-style foods made to fill them up for the cold afternoons.
4. China
A typical school lunch in China may consist of bok choy, yuxiang pork, steamed buns, and a light soup. Meals are warm, balanced, and comforting to nourish and provide energy for students to make it through the day. Many Chinese elementary schools also have nap time after lunch, which further values rest and well-being in education.
5. South Korea
Korean lunches are aesthetically pleasing, well-balanced, and usually consist of rice, soup, kimchi, and a variety of vegetable sides, or banchan. Korean meals are balanced in flavor, texture, and nutrition. Some schools also provide Western choices such as pasta, chicken nuggets, or French toast.
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6. India
School lunches in India can be a rainbow of colors and a potpourri of tastes, with common dishes including vegetables, dal (lentil stew), paneer (soft cheese), and naan, chapati, or roti (flatbread). The spices and nutrition of school lunches vary widely, as India has a highly diverse food culture.
7. Italy
School lunches in Italy are healthy, fresh, and often organic. Pasta with penne, a portion of meat, seasonal vegetables, and fruit for dessert are examples of a school lunch. They focus on fresh, local foods and traditional recipes, which helps to build healthy eating habits for life.
8. Sweden
School lunches in Sweden are often substantial and healthy. They typically include meat stew, coleslaw, boiled potatoes, crispbread (knäckebröd), and lingonberry juice. The meal is simple, well-balanced, and filling, but not over-the-top indulgent.
9. Spain
Menus in Spanish schools display the regional Mediterranean diet. Lunch might include paella, vegetables, gazpacho, fresh peppers, bread, and fruit. The meals are light but nutritious, with lots of olive oil, seafood, and whole grains.
10. Japan
Japanese school lunches are nutritionally balanced and healthy, such as a meal of milk, miso soup, white rice, pork stir-fried with vegetables, and a piece of fruit. In school, students take turns serving meals to their fellow classmates, learning about teamwork and gratitude. In many schools, gardens are used to grow vegetables to be used in the lunches.
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11. Argentina
Argentine students might eat milanesa de pollo (breaded chicken), rice, and a starch as a lunch meal. Saveur reports many South American schools begin and end before or after lunch, so students eat at home. This classic dish reflects Argentine passion for simple, hearty comfort foods enjoyed with family.
12. Finland
A hot, nutritionally balanced lunch of vegetables or soup, meat or fish, and bread. Finland may have also been the first country to offer free lunches to all students. This is a result of the country's focus on equality and child well-being through wholesome, home-style cooking.
13. Greece
A common Greek school lunch might feature meat, orzo, stuffed grape leaves, salad, and a sweet fruit or yogurt for dessert. Greek lunches are part of the Mediterranean diet, which is centered on fresh, plant-based ingredients and healthy fats. The diet has been shown to lower disease and inflammation, so Greek lunches are as healthy as they are tasty.
14. USA
American students can choose from salads, sandwiches, soups, smoothies, pasta, and pizza for lunch. There are more than 20 combinations each week, so lunches are highly versatile. The selection is broad so that each student can find something he or she likes.
15. UK
British school lunch is called school dinner. A typical dinner in a UK school will contain sausage, beans, potatoes, and fruit. However, dinner in British households is usually known as tea. Lunches are reminiscent of classic British comfort food.
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16. Cambodia
Cambodian students usually have meals based on recipes that are inspired by their local cuisine, and they use ingredients from Cambodia's land and freshwater sources. Cambodian dishes may consist of Samlor Korko, which is a healthy soup made of fish or meat, vegetables, and lemongrass and turmeric. These dishes are packed with antioxidants, which promote good health and symbolize Cambodia's rich natural resources.
17. Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, a typical lunch at school would consist of rice and a selection of curries such as dal (lentil curry), brinjal (eggplant curry), and potato curry. Flavorsome spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric are used. A portion of fresh fruit, bananas or papayas, for example, completes the meal.
18. Venezuela
In Venezuela, schoolchildren savor Crema de Auyama, a creamy pumpkin soup prepared with onion, garlic, chicken broth, and cream. It is often accompanied by rice, meat such as chicken, and fresh fruit for dessert. This comforting meal showcases Venezuela's appreciation for warm, homemade flavors and balanced nutrition.
19. Haiti
School lunches in Haiti often feature rice and beans, as this combination is a staple in the country's cuisine. It's usually served with fried plantains and legim, a vegetable stew full of flavor and nutrients. Popular protein sources such as chicken, fish, or griot (fried pork) are also added to make it a hearty and satisfying meal.
Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf on Wikimedia
20. Somalia
The climate of Somalia is largely hot and dry. Agriculture is predominant in the southern, rain-fed parts of the country. Staple crops include sorghum, maize, cowpeas, and bananas. School lunches are usually a large stew made from local ingredients, such as the crops above, to fuel the day.
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