What's For Lunch At Schools Around The World?

You'll be amazed at what some countries are feeding their children for lunch.

School lunch in the United States: hot dog with chili

School lunch in the United States: hot dog with chili.

Americans are often criticized for their relationship with food: we’re too fat; we eat too quickly; our food is greasy and unhealthy. For the most part, that may be true, but as much as we can learn from the eating habits of other countries, it’s also important not to take our food for granted.

In a way, the school lunch provides us with a quick-and-dirty take on a given place’s culture, values and economic well-being. Take a look at these school lunches around the world and you’ll find that the United States lands somewhere between mediocre and decadent:

School lunches from the United States: Fried chicken nuggets, canned peas, potatoes School lunch from the United States: Fried chicken nuggets, canned peas, potatoes. Lunch In America Hot Dog Lunch In America School lunch in the United States: hot dog with chili.Buzzfeed School Lunches Bento A decent school lunch in the United States: American-style Japanese bento box. School lunches Spain School lunch from Spain: local shrimp, gazpacho, fresh peppers. School lunches Ukraine School lunch from Ukraine: Mashed potatoes, sausage, borscht.Upworthy School lunches UK School lunch in the UK: Potato with cheese, carrots, corn. School Lunch In Taiwan School lunch in Taiwan: veggies, rice, pork, tofu soup. School lunches Taiwan Rice School lunch in Taiwan: rice, veggies, pork. School lunches Sweden School lunch in Sweden: potatoes, cabbage, lingonberry juice. School lunches South Korea School lunch from South Korea: fish soup, kimchi, fresh vegetables. Source: Upworthy School lunches Bean Stew School lunch from South Korea: bean stew, rice, kimchi.Flickr School lunches Korea Pork School lunch in South Korea: steamed cabbage, soup, pork. Source: BuzzFeed School lunches Kim Chi School lunch in South Korea: kimchi, rice, soup, fried pork. School Lunches Slovakia School lunches Singapore School lunch in Singapore: noodles, greens, pork, broccoli. School lunches Singapore Beef School lunch in Singapore: chicken, fried anchovies, omelette. School lunches Philippines School lunch in the Philippines: lechon kawali (fried pork belly), rice.BuzzFeed School Lunches Kenya School lunch in Kenya: maize and beans.Oprah.com School lunches Japan School lunch in Japan: udon, fish sauces, mandarin orange. School lunches Japan Tofu School lunch in Japan: tofu over rice, udon.Flickr School lunches Japan Hot Dog School lunch in Japan: Western-style hot dog, soup, fries, tomato. Source: BuzzFeed School lunches Japan Eggs School lunch in Japan: rice, chicken, egg, mixed veggies. Source: Flickr School lunches Chicken School lunch in Japan: pork tonkatsu, rice, udon. Source: Flickr School lunches Spaghetti School lunch in Japan: Western-style spaghetti, meatballs, fries, milk. Source: BuzzFeed School lunches Greece School lunch from Greece: baked chicken, yogurt, stuffed grape leaves.Upworthy School lunches Arugula School lunch from Italy: local fish, arugula, grapes. Source: Upworthy School lunches Italy School lunch in Italy: pasta primavera. Source: Oprah.com School lunches Ghana School lunches Honduras School lunch France School lunches from France: brie, apples, steak. Source: Upworthy School lunch Steak School lunch in France: steak, rice veggies. Source: Flickr School lunch Artichokes School lunch in France: artichoke, mussels, fries. Source: Flickr School lunch Finland School lunch from Finland: beets, carrots, pannucakku (dessert pancake). Source: Upworthy School lunch Estonia School lunch Djibouti School lunch China School lunch Brazil School lunch from Brazil: Pork, rice, plantains. Source: Upworthy School lunch Alface School Lunches Beef

At times, American meal options seem terrible -- chicken nuggets and canned peas -- but some enterprising schools and government initiatives are making an effort to bring their kids quality food with culturally-sensitive touches. Still, it's better than what kids are eating in developing countries--most are lucky to have seasoning on a bowl of plain rice.

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