School meals
Ooooo yummy. We're starving!
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Lincoln School, Kingsburg, California
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This plate of green and differing shades of brown stuff is what you can expect at an American elementary school dinner table, and what a bargain at $1.80. McDonalds could do a better job. So you may be asking yourself well why don't they!
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However, this Californian lunch is not representative of every school across the land, but someone somewhere has children who are being served this mess being described as food, and it's outrageous!
We have gathered a few more examples of school-provided food from across the world for you to draw your own comparisons and conclusions. If you have something to say about this subject, and want to share with us what your children are being offered at school, good or bad, we would be delighted to hear from you.
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Post your stories and photos on our Twitter or Facebook pages - We will be happy to receive them and share them with others.
Are we providing children with a balanced meal at school?
A trip around the World
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China
All mushy things on a plate considered, our opinion of this plate served for Chinese children was actually quite favourable. At least the items on the dish are relatively discernable from each other.
For example, Enzo identified the rice portion immediately. Of course it has to be said that Enzo is partial to the odd 'All You Can Eat Chinese Buffet,' therefore we do not expect rice identification to be in any way difficult for him.
We also think that we have identified the two green portions of the plate as broccoli and pickled cucumber.
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Italy
Without the help of Enzo I have absolutely no problem describing the items available on a plate for Italian children.
Lets start at with the big hand at 6 o'clock where we can clearly see a lump of cheese. Continuing to the left we're not sure, but we think that this is more cheese. Up there at 11 o'clock is a supplí (a deep fried rice ball often filled with . . . well cheese - mozzarella).
We're going to take a stab at the next item and say that it's cake. Next to this at just after 12 o'clock and laying next to the spoon at 3 o'clock, we think we have spied a bruschetta (a slice of bread toasted with olive oil topped with chopped tomatoes and herbs - something we often served at The Depot Café with French eggs for breakfast).
Finally we can safely describe the last part of this collection as salsiccia or sausage. Like chorizo. Or as Enzo likes to call it - Teresa.
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Hungary
A veritable feast is served in Italy when compared to the next assortment of allegedly edible objects being served to hungry children in Hungary!
We can only hope that we are gazing upon a meal partially consumed already. We think that may be soup to the left. The plate to the right is anyones guess - how about cake in meat gravy. The queue (or line as you call it in American), must have extended out onto the playground!
My first impression of this meal was to notice immediately that the apple was untouched!
Hungary (not right now thank you...)
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Korea
The next plate is, compared to the previous offerings, rather colourful. It's Korean. Although we may not be able to help you with identifying the objects on this plate, they do at least look good enough to eat. And is that a Yoplait in the top left hand corner Enzo?
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France
When I first saw our next meal, I knew immediately where it was from. One look at the egg and tomato salad pretty much gave it away. This colourful concoction of proteins, vitamins, starches and the rest, is typically French.
At 2.80 euros we think this is a bargain compared to many other international offerings.
When teaching English to young children in France, I got to see first hand the attention paid to providing children with a balanced meal. And rest assured that this plate will not be an isolated incident. Meals are cooked from scratch and often worthy of presentation at any restaurant across the country.
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Vietnam
Our next table is spread with Vietnamese dishes and is from Saigon. Again, although we may not be able to describe what we see, first impressions suggest from the colour and variety that this meal was entirely edible.
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While you marvel at what can be put onto a plate for $2.38, let's give you some background about Jamie Oliver and the work that this young man has done in Britain to improve the way that schools provide food to our children. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution began in the UK and he has brought his undenial passion about this subject the the United States of America.
Continue reading
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