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

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

Actually sauerkraut is an amazing, tasty and useful product!!!
Vinegar isn't added to it - it is fermented independently, ingredients - cabbage shredded, carrot shaving, is a little salt and not enough sugar, + black peas pepper. In total!!!
But it is necessary to eat, having watered ready cabbage with the fresh sunflower oil which - isn't refined that is natural. with a pleasant smell. I adore!!!)
На самом деле квашеная капуста - это изумительный, вкусный и полезный продукт!!!
Уксус в нее не добавляется - она заквашивается самостоятельно, ингредиенты - капуста шинкованная, морковка натертая, немного соль и совсем мало сахара, + черный горошек перец. Все!!!
Но кушать нужно, полив готовую капусту свежим подсолнечным маслом - не рафинированным, то есть натуральным, с приятным запахом. Обожаю!!!)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

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

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

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

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.

[inescher.livejournal.com]

Our school offers 3 type of milk as a drink: whole milk, 2% milk, and chocolate milk. No juices (and it's good because it's too much sugar in), soda, and/or other soft drinks.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Children are hyperactive enough, esp. in elementary school. Added caffeine would only make things worse, so it's good there are no sodas, in my opinion.

[inescher.livejournal.com]

I think so. I even think that chocolate milk (or strawberry milk) might be excluded. Milk and water are good enough. :)

[krauterweis.livejournal.com]

воняет -то да. Но потом, когда настоится - она уже не воняет, а пахнет).
Рекомендую. страшно полезная вещь.
Да, у нас её едят почти все, как у вас арахисовое масло)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:))

[creaze.livejournal.com]

+1

P.S. Been living in Austria, have checked out their german "Sauerkraut". Uneatable stinky mess, compared to russian.