French School Lunch Compared to American School Lunch, Day 5

photo credit: ShaZ Ni *Fotogurafiku

Welcome to Day 5 and the start of another week into investigating menus for school lunches in America vs. France.   If you have read my previous posts during this week, you start to know how each system operates and differs:  in America you have choices between the main meal, which is not the case in France.  And in France, children cannot bring their packed lunches into the cafeteria so if you eat in school you must eat what is on the menu or go hungry. Now, here goes for September 20, 2010.  Enjoy and Bon Appetit! 

Toms River, NJ

Choice of 1 main dish, 2 sides and served with a half pint of milk

Mozzarella Sticks or Turkey Wrap 

Mini Carrots and Mixed Fruit

Pau, France

Served with slices of baguette and water

Cheese Tart

Roast Turkey with Pepper Sauce with Buttered Cauliflower

Soft Cheese and Kiwi

Again we see the French tradition of serving cheese with or before the dessert.  This adds a calcium source to your child’s meal, which is important as the French school lunch program doesn’t serve milk, only water to drink.  This cheese that they serve on the menu is actually very soft cheese, almost like cream cheese, so the children smear it on bread.  Again fruit for dessert in both countries, fantastic!  So, what do you think of these menus?

About Mary Brighton

Mary Brighton MS, RD is a registered dietitian in America, France and United Kingdom. She received her Masters of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Colorado State University. She currently lives in France, is learning Italian and loves to travel, eat, be a mom.

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