The topic of children’s lunch in schools is taken very seriously in some parts of the world. In an effort to revitalize the schools in the United Kingdom, for example, famed chef Jamie Oliver started a program called Jamie’s Food Revolution in an earnest effort to transform the food children eat every day. His mission was to add nourishment healthy foods to children’s diets and to help curve the state of diabetes and heart conditions brought on by early childhood obesity.
Now, the program has been a success, and it seems culture, in general, has adopted a healthier way of life around the world. That being said, there are many children who go through life without anything to eat, and poverty is an enormous issue to this day, especially in underdeveloped households and countries. Some families pack their own lunches and bring them to school, as many schools in rural areas don’t have cafeterias that serve up hot lunches.
However, some children are fortunate enough to have the school programs provide meals during lunch hour. These schools offer a wide variety of culinary adventures for children to experience. The following 8 photos were taken by people around the world, showing off lunches that are unique to their schools and giving us a glimpse into the wide variety of cultures and diverse meals available to children around the world. A lot of these look extremely delicious.
1) Finland: Here we have a lunch for a meal offered in Finland. This looks more like a high-end restaurant plate rather than a school meal, but that’s actually really awesome. Finnish schools also offer meals for children with strict dietary needs. Here we have a plate of vegan meatballs served with freshly baked potatoes, salad and muesli. This looks amazing.
2) France: Leave it to the French to serve the fanciest food in their school cafeterias. This lunch is served by a school in the Western provinces of France, which includes a fresh dish of fish and potatoes served with a white wine mushroom sauce, spinach, cheese, and bread. It also comes with a salad. Believe it or not, some children opt to go home for their lunch breaks each day instead.
3) Hungary: This hearty meal from Hungary aims to fill children’s bellies with everything essential to jumpstart the afternoon. Featured in this photo are a vegetable noodle soup, with baked beans and chicken, served with a side of bread and packed nuts for dessert. That soup honestly looks so good.
4) Israel: Here we have a delicious and healthy looking lunch from a student in Israel. This lunch includes fresh fruit including grapes and apple slices, what looks like a healthy sandwich with fresh eggs, a granola bar, and even a few sweets for dessert. Absolutely delicious!
5) Russia: In Russia, many students have the option of two meals per day. One is a free breakfast in the morning, and lunch in the afternoon which is generally paid for. Here we have a meal that features a fresh sausage, buckwheat porridge, and some tea.
Instagram | @ciz4e6) South Korea: Now here we have a very interesting meal. This school in South Korea features a meal that could easily rival many school systems from around the globe. This dish includes a large bowl of traditional vegetable soup, with a bowl of rice. From the top left we have some fried Lotus Root, to the right a traditional sausage dish with sesame leaves, and on the far right, we have some rather delicious looking Kimchi!
7) Japan: Here, we have a meal from Japan, which starts off similarly to South Korean dishes including a hot and fresh vegetable soup served with a side of rice. This lunch also features some traditional beef dumplings and a side of white vermicelli salad with mayonnaise. This salad has a similar taste to coleslaw but with a smoother creamier texture! I want to eat it all!
8) United States: Finally, we have a good old fashioned American meal, with a garden salad, some canned peaches, canned corn, milk, and a slice of pizza. However, in comparison to some of these other dishes from around the world, suddenly this doesn’t look as appetizing! What are your thoughts?
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