USA School Lunch - Yogurt and Fruit

Country: USA (cyberschool student in rural eastern Pennsylvania)

Contents: Blueberry yogurt, Wheat Thins, 1/4 of a large apple, 2 tablespoons of creamy PB, and a 1/2 cup of baby carrots (Not pictured: mug of hot herbal tea with honey).

Source: Chrissi R.

Notes: If you're not familiar with it - cyberschooling is a cross between homeschooling and public school.

A simple, delicious, healthy meal for a child.

UK School Lunch - Roast beef and Potatoes

Country: UK

Contents: Roast beef and gravy, cauliflower, cabbage, roasted potatoes and pudding.

Source: Michael J.

Notes: I want that pudding.

Slovakia School Lunch - Roasted fish and Sweet Potatoes

Country: Slovakia

Contents: Roasted fish, sweet potatoes and carrot, radish & red pepper salad.

Source: Tony

Notes: Very, very healthy and fresh. Looks absolutely delicious.

USA School Lunch - Bean Burrito and Veggies

Country: USA (Washington State)

Contents: Bean and cheese burrito, grapes, pea pods, carrots and ranch dressing.

Source: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/2010/03/guest-blogger-lunch-from-west.html

Notes: Look it's pretty healthy! Dairy (cheese), protein (bean), grain tortilla, fruits and veggies (grapes, pea pods and carrots).

UK School Lunch - Chicken and Potatoes

Country: UK

Contents: Roast chicken, baked potatoes, gravy, peas and carrots, bread and fruit salad.

Source: Michael J.

Notes: That's good quality food there.

Slovakia School Lunch - Noodle Soup and Chicken Saute

Country: Slovakia (University of Presov)

Contents: Noodle soup, chicken saute with cranberry sauce, fries and carrot

Source: Peter

Notes: Looks nice and healthy. I don't know if it is just the camera, or if the chicken saute is gray. I don't know why, but that isn't a common color in American Cuisine. Maybe it would be, if it weren't for all the artificial colorings.

USA School Lunch - Bologna Sandwich and Grapes

Country: USA

Contents: Bologna & Cheese on wheat bread (it is supposed to look like a crown) with pickle chips, grapes, pretzels and a homemade cookie bar.

Source: Momof3

Notes: I wish my Mom had been that creative with my school lunches. I know some people don't like bologna, but if you get the good stuff, especially the stuff from the deli counter, it is totally delicious. Also, I have that same Tupperware (top right), good stuff, I like it.

Country: UK

Contents: Tuna wrap, baked potato, cauliflower, peas and bread.

Source: Michael J.

Notes: Delicious and nutritious. No reason our kids couldn't/shouldn't be eating this. Really, what would the cost of this meal be? There are no expensive items, in fact they are all cheap. They are all healthy, easy to prepare, etc.

USA School Lunch - Pizza and a Pear

Country: USA (Washington DC)

Contents: Peperoni pizza, a pear, salad, milk and fat free Italian dressing.

Source: http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-for-lunch-pizza.html

Notes: As Ed points out, the pizza does come frozen, and the salad does come processed. Still, this is certainly one of the healthier lunch options I've seen from DC. Older kids I'm sure would eat all of this. Younger kids my only eat the pizza, but the option is at least there.

USA School Lunch - Chicken and Corn

Country: USA

Contents: Chicken, corn, milk and apples.

Source: http://schoollunchfoundguilty.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/chicken-leg/

Notes: To the schools credit, it does provide pleanty of un-fried protein and two servings of fruits/veggies. Could use some grains, perhaps some bread. All in all, you could do worse.

USA School Lunch - Grilled Cheese and Apples

Country: USA

Contents: Grilled cheese sandwich and apples.

Source: http://schoollunchfoundguilty.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/412/

Notes: Ew that looks awful, and I love grilled cheese.

India School Lunch - Rice and Curry

Country: India

Contents: Rice and curry (anyone know the exact contents?)

Source: http://newshopper.sulekha.com/india-world-food-day_photo_1015648.htm (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Notes: Looks like there is certainly pleanty of it.

USA School Lunch - Chicken Nuggets and Pears

Country: USA

Contents: Chicken nuggets, french fries, pears, an apple and milk.

Source: http://briancromer.com/2008/05/13/middle-school-lunch-observation/

Notes: Two servings of fruit? Awesome. But let's contrast that with the tray next to his. Zero servings. At my elementary we were required to have one serving of fruit and one of vegetables. Let's hope this school has the same policy.

Norway School Lunch - Lasagna and Baby Carrots

Country: Norway

Contents: Leftover lasagna, baby carrots, small olives, and red grapes. I had a cup of tea with my lunch.

Source: Thanks Cindy!

Notes: I'm an American so my lunch isn't as typically Norwegian.

Cindy is a student teacher. As she is American, this is pretty typical of what an adult might bring to school or work. Looks tasty.

USA School Breakfast - Apple Jacks Cereal and Strawberry Milk.

Country: USA (Washington DC)

Contents: Apple Jacks cereal and strawberry milk.

Source: http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/breakfast-anoter-dose-of-sugar.html
Notes: "The strawberry milk contains 28 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce carton. That's the equivalent of more than six teaspoons of sugar, a bit less than Mountain Dew." Cereal, ok I can see that. But with strawberry milk? Come on now, that's excessive. Besides, part of the appeal of cereal is the delicious milk you get to drink once all the cereal is gone. I see no need to add flavored milk.

Norway School Lunch - Brown Cheese Sandwich and Bell Pepper Sticks

Country: Norway

Contents: Homemade whole wheat bread with brown cheese, and red bell pepper sticks.

Source: Thank you Robert and Cindy!

Notes: Brown cheese is a very Norwegian thing. It isn't really cheese, it's made of the whey from goat's and cow's milk, mixed with a little cream and some rennet and then cooked until it starts to turn solid. The brown color comes from the lactose caramelizing as it cooks. His school serves fruit as a mid-morning snack, a choice of apple slices, bananas, or orange slices. They also get their choice of low-fat milk or water for lunch.

Cindy says they don't serve lunch in Norway schools, so they bring it from home. Looks tasty and nutritious. I'd like to try brown cheese.

USA School Lunch - Chicken Nuggets and Tater Tots

Country: USA

Contents: Chicken nuggets, BBQ sauce, chocolate chip cookie, tater tots, an orange and milk.

Source: http://www.idea-sandbox.com/blog/2009/08/marketing-lessons-from-school-lunch/

Notes: Pretty typical. By pretty I mean very. And by very, I mean millions of kids at this today.

USA School Lunch - Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes

Country: USA (Oklahoma)

Contents: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, two wheat rolls and apple bread pudding.

Source: Laura M.

Notes: I can remember many lunches like this. The gravy was the only thing that made it palatable. The rolls look delicious. Apple bread pudding? I bet it's awful.

Singapore School Lunch - Fried Chicken and Rice

Country: Singapore

Contents: Fried chicken, rice, greens, stir fry

Source: Lee C.

Notes: This dish is available from what we call "Economical rice". Basically, you get your rice then pick the sides available. The price depends on your choice. The trend is that the more vegetable sides you choose, and the lesser sides you choose, the less you pay.

Submit Your School Lunches

If you could please send in photos of school lunches, elementry, junior high, high school, college, private school, brought from home, whatever. You can also send pictures of cafeterias, lunch ladies, etc. It would also be nice if you could include some descriptions of what the food is.

Also feel free to send links to any pictures you might find on the web.

E-mail me at: submitaforward@yahoo.com

Thanks!

USA School Lunch - Tofu with Brown Rice and Salad

Country: USA

Contents: Grilled beef salad with tatsoi, brown rice and tofu salad, bok choy stir-fry, a pear and 1 percent milk

Source: http://blog.ted.com/2008/10/school_lunches.php
(Newsday Photo / Bruce Gilbert)

Notes: Tasty and healthy. That roast beef looks awesome. I'm not a huge fan of tofu, it's a texture thing. As Doc pointed out, this isn't an actual school lunch, but rather someone's idea of the "ideal" school lunch.

USA School Breakfast - Whole Wheat Pancakes

Country: USA (Washington DC)

Contents: Whole wheat pancakes, orange juice, syrup and milk.

Source: http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-for-breakfast.html Thanks Ed!

Notes: The pancakes came frozen, they aren't fresh. You could certainly do much, much worse; but then again, you could do much better.

USA School Lunch - Hamburger and Iced Tea

Country: USA

Contents: Hamburger, tater tots, chocolate chip cookie, iced tea.

Source: http://wiseeats.wordpress.com/2009/04/

Notes: Those tater tots look like tater tots are supposed to look, dark, crispy and delicious.

USA School Lunch - Rib Sandwich and Coleslaw

Country: USA (Dayton, TN) Rhea County High School

Contents: Rib sandwich, mac and cheese, cole slaw, fresh (frozen) blueberries and skim milk.

Source: Corey

Notes: Bundled altogether on a recycled plasti-foam tray which at the top reads "Say No To Drugs"

USA School Lunch - Mac and Cheese

Country: USA

Contents: Mac and cheese, mixed veggies, breadstick, fruit cup and milk.

Source: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-40-mac-and-cheese.html

Notes: It looks exactly like a TV dinner. Not a $4 TV dinner either. This looks like one of those .88 cent bargain meals. Gross.

India School Lunch - Rice and Curry

Country: India

Contents: Rice, curry, water. (Anyone know what these items are exactly?)

Source: http://www.it-is-easy.org/ph/in/in-2005.php

Notes: Eating lunch outside, now that's the way to go. I'm sure they do it out of necessity, but I think it would be great for kids to do every once in a while. We had the option in High School, but never before that.

Japan School Lunch - Nishime and Koyadofu

Country: Japan

Contents: Nishime (vegetables boiled in water and soy sauce; lotus root, carrots, french beans), chikuwa, koyadofu, spinach steamed with bonito flakes, potatoes boiled in soy sauce and water, rice, oranges, a banana and tea.

Source: http://www.mrfergusonsclassroom.com/?p=273

Notes: I don't know why the holes in the lotus root freak me out, but they do. It certainly seems healthy.

USA School Lunch - Frozen Orange Juice

Country: USA (Washington DC)

Contents: Juice (frozen)

Source: http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/school-lunch-frozen-juice.html

Notes: "Here you can see how my daughter has peeled the carton of orange juice open so she can dig into it with one of the plastic combination spoon/forks (sporks) that are always available in the cafeteria. After pounding away at the frozen mass, they eat it more like ice cream, then suck up any liquids with a straw."

USA School Lunch - Grilled Cheese and French Fries

Country: USA

Contents: Grilled cheese sandwich, french fries, ketchup and a pear.

Source: http://americanlunchroom.com/2009/06/grilled-cheese-french-fries-ketchup-and-a-pear/

Notes: I love grilled cheese, but it doesn't look too appetizing all wrapped up like that.

USA School Lunch - Mozzarella Sticks and French Fries

Country: USA

Contents: Mozzarella sticks, french fries, ketchup.

Source: http://americanlunchroom.com/2009/06/mozzarella-sticks-french-fries-and-ketchup/

Notes: Seriously? This is a snack and an unhealthy one at that, not lunch.

USA School Lunch - BBQ Chicken and Rice

Country: USA

Contents: BBQ Chicken, white rice, an apple and chocolate milk

Source: ?

Notes: Looks pretty tasty and healthy. Would kids be more likely to eat the apple if it was sliced?

USA School Lunch - Chicken Nuggets and Baked Beans

Country: USA (Washington DC)

Contents: Chicken nuggets, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, peaches, and BBQ sauce

Source: http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/todays-lunch-glycemic-bomb.html

Notes: As the site's author points out, this is nothing but carbs.

USA School Lunch - Nachos and Tater Tots

Country: USA

Contents: Nachos with chili and cheese, tater tots, a plum and chocolate milk.

Source: http://assfacemclegs0.blogspot.com/2009/11/best-and-worst-of-school-lunches.html

Notes: Healthy? No. Tasty? Maybe. I love nachos. I do, they are delicious. But, that being said, I wouldn't eat them for lunch, nor would I serve them for lunch. At least, not those nachos.

USA School Lunch - Chili and Chips

Country: USA

Contents: Chili, chips, orange, beans, chocolate milk

Source: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-39-chili.html

Notes: Chili? Hardly. It looks like the stuff they put on hot dogs at the gas station. Green beans look fresh, probably flash frozen after harvest, which is a good thing. Beats canned. Nice orange, though there are lots of kids that won't eat them if they have to peel them.

USA School Lunch - Creamed Turkey

Country: USA

Contents: Creamed turkey over mashed potatos, and a roll.

Source: http://assfacemclegs0.blogspot.com/2009/11/best-and-worst-of-school-lunches.html

Notes: What on earth is creamed turkey? Blech.

USA School Lunch - Hot Dog and Potato Chips

Country: USA

Contents: Hot dog, french fries, potato chips, ketchup, baked beans and a Squeeze It (punch).

Source: http://chat.augustachronicle.com/images/headlines/101602/slideshow/slide1.shtml

Notes: Fries and chips? Yikes. At least give the kids milk, chips are enough of a treat. And look how small the beans are.

It Happens Every Noon

Via

USA School Lunch - Hamburger and Fries

Country: USA (Hawaii)

Contents: Hamburger, seasoned french fries, ketchup and "orange drink."

Source: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/CS/blogs/sustainable_agriculture/archive/2007/09.aspx

Notes: Orange drink... The only think orange is the color, there is no juice, and it is not very tasty. Tampico on the other hand is incredibly awful for you, but it is awfully delicious.

What's For School Lunch in Josei Seven Magazine

What's For School Lunch was recently featured in the popular Japanese magazine Josei Seven(Woman Seven).

Here is the article: And here is a link to their website: http://josei7.com/

Thanks to Josei Seven, and a welcome to all our friends visiting from Japan.

(Photos used with permission)

Japan School Lunch - Fried Chicken and Fries

Country: Japan (Onoda Technical High School)

Contents: French fries, fried chicken, rice, soup and salad.

Source: http://grayinjapan.blogspot.com/2008/11/japanese-school-lunches.html

Notes: Fried chicken and french fries? Awesome. Seems like an appropriate portion size.

Japan School Lunch - Tempura over Udan

Country: Japan

Contents: Shrimp and vegetable tempura over udan noodles.

Source: http://grayinjapan.blogspot.com/2008/11/japanese-school-lunches.html

Notes: Yes please, it looks delicious.

Ads on School Busses?

In my home state of Utah, a bill was recently shot down that proposed allowing private companies to advertise on the outside of school buses, just like they do city buses, with all proceeds going directly to public education.

I say that as long as the ads are approved by the school district and won't have a negative impact on the kids, I'm all for it. I see nothing to lose, but a lot of money to gain.

What are your thoughts on this?

Japan School Lunch - Broiled Fish and Rice

Country: Japan (Asa Jr. High School)

Contents: Broiled fish, rice with vegetables and a tofu and vegetable soup.

Source: http://grayinjapan.blogspot.com/2008/11/japanese-school-lunches.html

Notes: Some people would drop $10+ for this meal at a resteraunt in the USA.