School lunch helps a student refuel throughout the day. However, school lunch means different things to people in different parts of the world. While some countries are all about the students eating something light as a form of break, others are particular about providing kids with as many nutrients as possible. Here are five school lunches from around the globe.
India
India’s school lunch program is enviable for many reasons. First, the exotic flatbread delicacy offers a very versatile meal. Furthermore, the regular lunch in India isn’t just a light meal; it is also healthy for school kids.
An average lunch consists of vegetables, dal (lentil stew), paneer (a popular cheese) + naan, chapati, or roti (different types of flatbreads). According to NPR, India has the largest school lunch program in the world, providing over 100 million free meals to kids every day at school.
Sweden
No list of unique school kid lunches would be complete without mentioning this country. It’s impressive that Sweden provides free lunch to all children in their nine-year school program, considering the budget they have. The free lunch also doesn’t neglect healthy options.
A typical school lunch in Sweden comprises meat stew, coleslaw, boiled potatoes, Knäckebröd (crispbread), and lingonberry juice. In some parts of the country, the common school lunch consists of fried salmon, fried potatoes with herbs, honey roasted vegetables with chèvre.
Spain
The typical school lunch in Spain is healthier than what you’d expect. Compared to American school lunches that are full of additives and fatty mystery meat, children in Spain eat gourmet.
The lunches Spanish kids eat are packed with nutrients. Their average lunch includes paella, vegetables, gazpacho, fresh peppers, bread, and fruit. The lunch above is plated with creamed vegetable soup, pan-fried veal, salad, bread, and fruit.
Japan
We can’t say we were expecting anything else for the school lunch options in Japan. Japan is known for plant-forward meals and diets due to the value they attach to caring for the body and soul. Well, it’s not all about the food in Japan.
Lunch includes milk, miso soup, white rice, and pork fried with vegetables and fruit. In some Japanese schools, students take turns serving lunch to each other to teach the value of service. Many Japanese schools also feature gardens that supply parts of the meal.
Russia
Lunch in Russia is quite different from that of many other countries. While some countries normalize routine meals and focus on feeding school kids nutrients, Russians focus on giving school kids whole meals. But this doesn’t translate into unhealthy lunch options.
The regular lunch for school kids in Russia includes a bowl of Borscht, bread, meat, and grains. Interestingly, the Russian word for lunch, obed, actually translates to ‘dinner’ in English. This is probably why lunch in Russia tends to be quite substantial.
