School lunches vary drastically country to country
Posted March 16, 2023
Staff Reporter
The smell of hot lunch seeming through the hallways, and the sound of crunching wrappers both form a type of nostalgia that everyone knows—time for lunch at school. Everyone realizes how different school lunches were about a decade ago. Now imagine the difference in school lunches, policies, and compared to school meals around the world.
Through the decades' school lunches were clearly different, taste and health-wise. Although Lunches were full of foods such as burgers, pizza, jello, and chocolate pudding, policies, and nutrition played a part in the transition of school lunches. According to https://www.fns.usda.gov/, the mandatory nutrition requirement involves Fruits, veggies, grains, meat, and meat alternatives. To prevent any chronic diseases through meals, a healthier alternative to school lunches reduces this chance based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/ “My plate” is an act which reauthorizes children's nutrition programs in order to create healthy school meals. This program promotes health and meets the nutrition requirements. Although the “My Plate” program has been watered down in its regulations. According to https://www.washington.edu/ Since 2020 food in school lunches has allowed fewer grains more flavored milk and more sodium. Not to mention 60% of school lunches reviewed by the state in the past five years failed to meet at least one federal requirement.
Even though the “My Plate” act promotes health, school lunches in America are still not as healthy in general compared to nutritional policies around the world, school lunches are not prepared from scratch. Almost all lunches are pre-packaged along with minimally processed fruits and vegetables. The top ten Healthiest school lunches around the world consist of the UK, France, Ukraine, Greece, Brazil, Finland, Italy, and South Korea. Referred to by www.madeformums.com. Most of these school meals are made from scratch, for instance, Japan sautees, boils, and simmers food when preparing meals.
Every country’s meal incorporates different aspects of food in its meals. Places such as France, have salmon for lunch. According to www.washingtonpost.com ,77% of high school students dislike their school meals. Better preparations of food and possibly more options may lead to better input in school lunches. With more variety of food options, students have more to choose from. Although an ideal lunch for typical high school students may be a burger and something sweet, school regulations don’t offer these meals. Most students may not have the option to bring their own lunch to school, that being said School districts, offer free lunch and even food pantries that students may sign up for. This creates many benefits.
“Sometimes school lunches just don’t do it for you," said junior Ava Hernandez. "I’ll probably still be hungry by third and fourth period."
Although schools offer lunches under the nutrition guidelines, having options for an off-campus lunch may get students to enjoy a proper meal. However, schools such as David Douglas High School restrict students to an on-campus lunch only, which limits students to cafeteria meals. Clearly, the impact that school lunches have on students is based on whatever the cafeteria is serving that afternoon. Countries such as France consist of meals like steak, carrots, green beans, cheese, and fresh fruit. Not only do these meals sound appetizing but they follow similar health regulations that school districts in the United States have to follow. So why are school districts not promoting lunches that are healthy and appetizing?