Несъедобные обеды американских школьников

[peacetraveler22]

At my school, there was no cafeteria. Each morning, my mom awoke early and packed lunch for my sister and me. It grew monotonous, eating the same sandwiches and fruit each day. Secretly, I dreamed of being like my friends who went to public schools, lining up each day to have some old woman with a net around her hair throw slop on my plate. In the U.S., there's constant debate over what school children are fed in the cafeteria. A lot of schools have removed snack and soda machines, and guidelines about nutritional values for school meals are always shifting. Over the weekend, I looked at the menu from my nephew's elementary school, listing the meal choices for each day in the month of May. Common choices include pizza, tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets and pastas, all served with some type of vegetable and potatoes or rice. There's always one healthy option like grilled chicken or fish, and a wide-variety of fresh fruit is available for purchase. Yet only the most disciplined of children would pick such options when there are tastier and more indulgent choices placed in front of them each day. All of this creates a very sad picture on the white tray. I grew curious, and began to read about school lunches around the globe, and here's what I discovered!

Look at the culinary delights thrown on these plates from Brazil, Greece and France. The Greek dish looks especially appetizing to me, while the plate from Ukraine has the same sad and pathetic appearance as the USA lunch, filled with greasy sausages, potatoes, cabbage, borscht and a pancake.


If the topic is of interest to readers, I can take my camera and join my nephew for lunch one day to explain more about what school kids in the USA eat. Of course, many parents still pack lunches for their children, so they aren't forced to eat this cafeteria slop each day. However, I think there's some level of excitement for most young kids to go through the cafeteria line each day, pick from a choice of foods, and create their own meals. It's a rite of passage for almost all American school children.

What did you eat during your school days? Cafeteria food, or homemade lunches? I have no idea what Russian children are served in cafeterias or dining halls, because I've never once visited a school there. Has it changed a lot from the Soviet era? What happens if the family has no money to pay for a child's lunch, does the Russian government subsidize it?

Comments

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Sure, I understand. Peanut butter is something unusual or exotic for Russians, but for Americans it's totally normal. Almost all children are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during their childhood. :) I eat peanut butter on a lot of things - celery, bread, crackers, and it's most delicious on red apples. :)) In the U.S., school lunches are not free. Children must pay for them, but the U.S. government subsidizes the cost for low income families.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I always yell at my mother when she cooks this food, because it stinks up the whole house! :))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I guess it's an acquired taste for foreigners. :) You don't even like the greatest of all candies - Reese's peanut butter cups? :))

[ir-cherry.livejournal.com]

:) Звичайно, смаки у кожної людини свої, а в кожній країні є своя традиційна їжа. Щось нам смакує дитинства і ціле життя, а щось навпаки не до вподоби. :)
Квашені та солені овочі - це наша національна традиція. Звичайно, зараз в магазинах продають багато свіжих овочів і фруктів протягом цілого року. Але ж ми вважаємо, що в овочах, яким не є сезон, недостатньо вітамінів і забагато нітратів. Українці звикли купувати сезонні овочі та фрукти у селян, які виросли на органічних добривах. :) На жаль, на сьогоднішній день, ми не довіряємо рослинам, які виросли в теплицях.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

In USSR, soup was considered mandatory for school lunch. Then some other things, already described by other people. It was not very tasty but edible. And "coffee with milk" - horrendous concoction but I miss it now.

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

It isn't enough)))
We do it in 3 one-liter glass jars - for the best safety, but not buckets))
*
*

I forgot. Except tea and compote, still cocoa (on milk) - milk was frequent - is fresher, from a local rural farm. Very tasty cocoa was))
Забыл. Кроме чая и компота, часто было еще какао (на молоке) - молоко - свежее, с местной сельской фермы. Очень вкусное какао было))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Children were served coffee during school?? I don't think they have this as a drink option in U.S. cafeterias, or even hot tea.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Oh gawd! Even reading this candy name I shudder.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:))

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

Нам кофе не давали, только какао на молоке.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Cocoa is good! I'm not sure what kids drink during school lunches in the USA. I think mostly milk or fruit juices, and you can pick between white or chocolate milk.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Imagine 20 gallon pot with hot light brown liquid in it. I do not know how much coffee was in it, but if has coffee overtones on skimmed milk background with too much sugar. Somehow it was so bad, it was good actually.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

This seems like a nightmare for teachers, because a caffeinated child is usually a wild and hyperactive child! :)) When I first entered university, I studied to be a teacher. Then, I went to a junior high school as a "substitute" teacher, and taught a classroom of teenagers for a few days. It was such a nightmare that I immediately changed my career plans.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

That the greatest difference between USSR and USA. In USSR, teacher word carried a lot of weight. I had a lot of practice in schools while in university and was able to handle most of students easily, Now it is different, I heard.

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

I have too doubts concerning coffee at school.
To us in any case never it was cooked, and houses too.
Ah yes, at school still prepared fruit kissel!!! ням ням!))

[anfishka.livejournal.com]

ммм))) прям самые хорошие воспоминания всплыли))
вот немного о моей первой учительнице http://nsportal.ru/lilidayos
а вот имя кого носит сама школа https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%AD%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4_%D0%94%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87
когда я училась, школа была лучшей в области, теперь лучшей считается та, что через квартал. то есть соседняя с нашей))

[selfmade.livejournal.com]

I challenge you to find actual pictures of lunches from around the globe, not the posters based on creator's fantasies.

In my USSR childhood school lunches varied from day to day. However all these varieties can be nicely summed up by this



Generally it was:
0. Black bread + butter
1. Soup - borsch, shchi, fish, macaroni.
2. potatoes - mashed or pieces, or some macaroni, or kasha. With piece of meat: a cutlet, a chicken drumstick, rarely a piece of fish.
3. tea or dried fruits compote
Season permitted it would have an additional piece or a whole of an apple, a cucumber, a tomato, a pear, a piece of melon.

School lunches in USSR if not fully subsidized would be of rather symbolic value.

My kids go to US public school system. I'm Ok with their variety since at home they have an abundance of fruits, vegetables and everything.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Many readers have told me that Soviet teachers were scary and very strict! In the U.S. now, teachers are put in an inferior position. They are scared to be too strict with kids, or discipline then in an aggressive manner for fear of being accused of "abuse". It's a lose/lose situation.

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

to us in school some children walked (in the summer often by bicycles) 6 kilometers - in the morning, and in the evening back. It was especially heavy in the winter.
Later in the winter DT-74 catarpillar began to carry them - it dragged "a lodge on a sled" - the cloud of children jammed there) here to them was cheerful!!!
*
к нам в школу некоторые дети шли пешком (летом часто на велосипедах) 6 километров - утром, и вечером назад. Особенно тяжело было зимой.
Позже зимой их стал возить гусеничный трактор ДТ-74 - он тащил "домик на салазках" - туда набивалась туча детей) вот им было весело!!!

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Может это какао было, а называли кофе.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

These are pictures I pulled after viewing several articles online. Of course, I can't personally visit all countries and schools to see the lunches they serve. It would be a great project, though! :) The images in this post were pulled from a UK article. A child can still eat healthy in U.S. schools, but the healthy options are definitely less than pizza, fried foods, etc.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Yes, it not working well.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Why doesn't Russia develop some type of school bus system, to haul children to school so they're not walking so far in brutal winter conditions??

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

It's nice! I remember my first grade teacher. His name was "Mr. Hill". He was very old, with gray hair and a big mustache. A kind and patient man, and definitely one of my favorite teachers!

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What is "fruit kissel?"