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

[fedli.livejournal.com]

Лучше скушать супчик,как помои,чем разжиреть и получить язву...

[nickned.livejournal.com]

It will be very interesting to see the lunch content of the kids at US schools!
Talking about Russian and Ukrainian school cafeteria menus - I think they changed a lot since the soviet period. But at some schools (not as many) it's the same unfortunately: fried cakes so-called "pirozhki", fruit drink "kompot", borsht or oily soup, and some traditional main dish.
You should visit once a typical Russian school. I'm sure it will be very interesting for you!

[anfishka.livejournal.com]

я училась в школе давно... но сейчас попробую вспомнить...
итак начальная школа. город мичуринск, тамбовская область. с утра после первого или второго урока было время перекуса в виде: (не очень помню) точно был чай, компот, какао или кисель с булочкой. и какая-нибудь каша типа манной. потом после занятий уже, те кто оставались еще в продленке (еще на какое-то время, пока не придут родители) был обед, в который входило обязательно первое (это могли быть мясные щи, или молочный вермишелевый суп или еще что-нибудь), второе (молочная каша или мясо с гречкой или рисом), потом что-нибудь пили (список похож на утренний). каждый день меню было разное.
в средней школе я училась во вторую смену и приходила только пить чай, так как пообедать успевала дома. а ближе к старшей школе переехала в москву, там что-то было вкусное, что-то не очень. но так хорошо меню не помню. точно обед не положишь на квадратную тарелочку. и оно было разное.

[dubovich.livejournal.com]

My third grader always prefers a home lunch. She feels nauseous after eating school lunch. And if she ends up eating in school she would only eat a peanut butter sandwich.

[polis-2.livejournal.com]

The high school in the village (1-10 classes), available was school cafeteria.
To 4 classes inclusive lunches were free, later - cost small money. It was possible to choose what to order. School students (little girls) helped to prepare for the cook.
It was pleasant to me)).
Ah yes, it was - in the USSR))
Средняя школа в селе (1-10 классов), в наличии была школьная столовая.
До 4 класса включительно обеды были бесплатными, позже - стоили небольшие деньги. Можно было выбирать, что заказать. Школьники (девчонки) помогали готовить повару.
Мне нравилось)).
Ах да, это было - в СССР))

[ir-cherry.livejournal.com]

Доброго дня, Шеннон! Мене звати Ірина, я живу в Україні. :)
На жаль, я не володію англійською мовою настільки, аби писати нею, тому буду писати українською мовою.
Я хочу написати дещо на захист обідів в наших школах, тому що фото з України не відповідає реальності. ))
По-перше, дітям не дають смажені жирні ковбаски на сніданок та на обід. )) Це навіть дивно мені, що хтось зробив таку фотографію. Так, бувають сосиски, можливо не найкращої якості, але ж це не жирна ковбаса, якою зазвичай закусюють горілку. :) Як мати школяра, я знаю які сніданки і обіди є в нашій звичайній школі. Розповім про них. :)
На сніданок звичайно подають ліниві вареники зі свіжого сиру ("творог" - по-російськи), або сирну запіканку чи сирники з такого ж сиру, зі сметаною. Це може бути картопляне пюре або варений рис, або гречка з курячою або рибною котлетою. Замість котлет може бути просто відварена курка або тушена чи смажена риба. На гарнір дають овочевий салат зі свіжих овочів. Взимку замість свіжих овочів подадуть квашену капусту, або солені огірки та помідори. Це натурально солені та квашені овочі без додавання оцту, а тому вони навіть корисні - допомагають перетравлювати їжу. :) Ще, наприклад, це може бути салат з вареного буряку... і таке інше подібне. На сніданок доволі часто готують молочні страви: манну кашу, молочний суп з локшиною або рисом.
А на обід зазвичай подають першу страву: червоний український борщ або курячий суп з макаронами. На друге щось схоже з того, що і для сніданків. До компоту або узвару, чаю або какао дитина може взяти булочку з корицею, булочку з сиром, булочку з маком, булочку з повидлом на вибір.
Так, це не ресторанні страви, можливо десь гірше або краще готують, але ж приблизно в школах одне й те ж саме меню. Це дитяча їжа. Вона доволі смачна і корисна. В шкільних обідах більше закладена енергетична складова, ніж вітамінна, але ж це й не смажені жирні ковбаски. :) Звичайно, батькам дітей хотілося б бачити більше овочей в шкільних їдальнях, і ми все робимо для того, аби так і сталося.

[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.

[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.

[inescher.livejournal.com]

My daughter (3rd grade) takes lunch from home every day. Last year she ate school lunches but we assumed that she started to have some health problems that completely disappears after finishing of her school year.
But it's not the situation when we completely refuse school menu. Sometimes if she wants... why not? :)))))
Interesting that my older son had home lunch in elementary (private school), school lunches in middle (public school) and... home lunch in high (public school). Came back to the home food was his choice, I only pack it every day.
By the way, I NEVER pack peanut butter sandwiches to my kids. :)
This morning my daughter took her lunchbox with mini-mozzarella cheese and peaches cup for her first snack, grilled turkey sausages garnished with grilled zucchini and fresh tomatoes and fresh strawberries (desert) for her lunch and apple souse and crackers for the second snack in afterschool program.
As for me... I don't remember very good memories from my school lunches in elementary school in Soviet Union. Yes, it was not bad food but it looked weird and sometimes taste the same. :)))

[koluchkka.livejournal.com]

Wir had lunches, I don't know, free or very cheap - soup, second meal, compot or tea or coffe with milk or cacao. But that all was ... I don't know, it had special taste of russsian столовка. This is definately not that meal, that one cook at home. And also there was cafeteria with cackes and sweets.
P.S. Oups, I seemed to use german instead of english a bit )

[ambival.livejournal.com]

Russian children always can catch a bear if they have notning to eat in the school canteen.

But sometines it looks like that:

[buy-dream2013.livejournal.com]

это детям? я бы даже есть не стала... киви с яблоком можно оставить

Доколе?

[svetatim63.livejournal.com]

Доколе горохом кормить собираются?

Симптоматично

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

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Симптоматично

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

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[delfi-ya.livejournal.com]

Hello!
The school year is ending in Russia these days.
In September I'll possibly try to make photos of food in Russian schools.
But it can be difficult, because other teachers won't understand шею
In primary school all children get so called "the second breakfast", it's free.
Sometimes there are even nuggets in it, but usually it's tasteless, but healthy.
Lunch is free only for limited group of children, for example ophans, others pay for it.
Every day during 2 weeks it's different. Soup with bread, meat-balls with mashed potatoes,
vegetable salad, fruit compote.

[zeludok.com (from livejournal.com)]

во Франции вполне здоровая и вкусная еда!

[levrn.livejournal.com]

выглядит аппетитно!

[natokaktus.livejournal.com]

Моя внучка живет в двух шагах от школы(29 секунд дойти до порога школы), но все равно остается обедать в школе (хотя дома всегда обед готов), потому что ей нравится. И я не протестую, т.к. знаю строгое отношение директора к питанию учеников (при первом же проколе поставщик меняется без разговоров). Внучка говорит, что готовят по-домашнему...Внучка у меня стройненькая, кстати...

Несъедобные обеды американских школьников

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User e_traveller referenced to your post from Несъедобные обеды американских школьников (http://e-traveller.livejournal.com/579552.html) saying: [...] Оригинал взят у в Несъедобные обеды американских школьников [...]

[iiiko.livejournal.com]

Меня в советской школе кормили говном. Когда приходили в столовую, в воздухе стоял стойкий запах кулинарного жира, варёной капусты и томат-пасты. Так я заработал гастрит))).

[ultraboy2000.livejournal.com]

Перестаньте уже постить постановочные картинки пропагандирующие здоровое питание.
Подносы в очередной раз одинаковые во всех странах=))))

[cfagnum.livejournal.com]

I studied at school during 90's. It was one of the best schools in the city of Perm (specialized math school). My mom didn't have money to pay for lunches (I was a child from low income family), so she packed lunch for me every day. It wasn't subsidized from the government - you could either pay or refuse. Anyway I didn't like those lunches, that consisted mostly of mashed potatoes or pasta, badly fried fish or minced meat "kotleta", borsh and tea or kompot. Anyway I had small pocket money during my high school days and I could spend them on pastry in school café. It was relatively cheap: for less than a dollar you could get tea and cookies.

[lordgold025.livejournal.com]

В российских школьных столовых отвратительная еда, кроме выпечки. Особенно она была ужасной когда я учился с 1998 по 2006 год. Нормальная еда может быть только если там готовят повара из частной фирмы, а не бюджетной. Совсем недавно по городскому информационному каналу был репортаж про школьные столовые и различные махинации с ними, так в одной школе нашли 11 нарушений при готовке пищи