Learning About Food Around the World for School Lunch

Little Passports gave me a neat little idea about doing lunches from around the world for kids' lunches. They have a cool program to help your kids learn about the world.

In Japan, the school lunch ingredients are locally sourced and almost never frozen; in addition, the schools employ nutrition experts that work with kids and teach them the importance of good eating habits. 

Japanese kids also eat in a community-like setting with their peers, and even their teachers! The children also wear white hats and robes to serve their classmates, which teaches them teamwork and respect. You can expect to find lots of rice, vegetables, fish, soup, and meat on the plate. 

I want to do super cute Japanese style bento boxes for my little guy once he is in school. I'm a big fan of cute food! I also love incorporating foods from other countries and cultures into our vegetarian household to keep it interesting.

Here are some insights into what other kids around the world are eating at school...

South Africa - South African school meals have natural ingredients such as corn, squash, sweet potatoes, and yams. There’s also rice, soft porridge, and meat that is sprinkled in with the vegetables. A special stew is made called potjiekos (named after a potjie, a three-legged pot), which originated from Dutch settlers. The cook puts vegetables, meat, potatoes, and spices into the pot, which is heated by small amounts of wood and twigs. After cooking, the result is a delectable stew!

Colombia - Colombian school lunch ingredients usually vary from region to region, but can contain rice, potatoes, fruit, beans, meatballs, and vegetables such as corn and avocados. There’s a special vegetarian menu also available, and children from 2 to 5 years old have their food cut and portioned into smaller sizes.

France - French children enjoy a 3 or 4-course meal that is made from high-quality ingredients, and are mostly made from scratch. The children all sit in the same eating area, the cafeteria. 

An interesting fact is that there are no vending machines in schools, because they’re banned due to the high sugar and fat content of the treats they carry!  

Typical school lunches here can have a variety of dishes and ingredients, such as grilled fish, salad, red beans, seasonal vegetables, garlic sausage, fruit salads and chocolate flan (just to name a few). Another perk is that the food is served on plates and eaten with real silverware!

Not sure about the grilled fish, but a lot of the other stuff sounds delicious!