How does school lunch work in France?

Starting when children enter school at age 3, school lunch consists of four courses: a vegetable starter (for example, grated carrot salad, or beet salad), a warm main course served with a side of grains or vegetables, cheese, and dessert.

What does school lunches look like in France?

French lunches have multiple courses! They start with a vegetable, such as a leafy lettuce salad, a cucumber tomato salad or beets. Next up is a warm main dish, which almost always includes another veggie. Think sliced roast beef with baked potatoes, veal with mushrooms and broccoli or breaded fish with cauliflower.

How French school lunches are different from American ones?

Another key difference in French school lunches is that all food is prepared fresh in house. That means no pre-packaged macaroni, pizza, or fruit. All mashed potatoes are mashed in house, all soups are prepared daily.

How long are school lunch breaks in France?

Lunch. Lunch breaks are much longer in French schools: usually at least one and a half hours! Students have a choice between eating at the school canteen or going home for lunch. Bringing your own packed lunch is usually not allowed, which is usually a popular option in the UK and America.

Who pays for school lunches in France?

In France, the meals are free in about 50 municipalities out of 35,000. The price depends on the household income in most large towns. As part of the 2017 poverty action plan, local authorities offering a progressive price scale with price segments equal to or below €1 can benefit from a state contribution.

School Lunch France - Michael Moore

Do French kids go home for lunch?

There are no vending machines in French schools (they are banned by law), and children are strongly discouraged from bringing their own meals from home (and most don't). So the cantine is the place where the majority of French children eat lunch on school days.

What country has the best school lunches?

For example, Japan has an excellent school meal program. Finland is probably the best in the world. France and Italy have decent programs. I had an Italian friend who used to bring me menus from the school meal program, and it reads like a fancy restaurant menu.

Do French take 2 hour lunch?

Not only are French workers accustomed to taking a full two hours to enjoy their midday meals, they are required by law to leave their desks to do so.

Why do French schools have a 2 hour lunch break?

In fact, the French spend longer eating, but eat less–in part because that 'fullness feeling' (satiety signal) needs about 20 minutes to get from your stomach to your brain. But the French also spend longer eating because they believe that it's important to teach kids to eat well – it's a life skill, like reading.

Why does France have a 2 hour lunch break?

In food-loving France, the lunch break can last around two hours. The French are known to take time with their food, and they believe it's important to take a break in order to enjoy one of life's most important pleasures (we agree).

What is a stereotypical French lunch?

An usual French lunch will include: an appetizer (une entrée), such as a mixed salad, soup, terrine or pâté; main course, (le plat principal), choice of beef, pork, chicken, or fish, with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables; cheese course (from a local selection) and/or a sweet.

How important is lunch in France?

2) The lunch break is a cherished habit

For most employees in France, the lunch break is a daily ritual, firmly rooted in the French culture ; 88% of diners always eat with the same people, and 90% at the same time (between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm) and on the same budget.

What is French style lunch?

The traditional French lunch is a light meal, often salads and grilled meats or fish. But there is more to the French lunch than just those two things. The main ingredients in a French lunch are meat, fish, cheese, and salads. Dinner. In French culture, dinner is the last and most important meal.

Is school lunch free in France?

Almost universally, councils subsidise the cost of school meals. Indeed, in a small number of areas school lunches are provided without charge. Generally, expect to pay from €4 to €8 per meal (2022 prices).

What is the most common lunch in France?

What are some facts about lunch in France?

Lunch is a bit heavier. This might include a starter dish and the main course, sometimes finished with fromage or a desert. Then, appetites are build up for dinner. Typically, dinner won't be served until past 7 PM, or later.

Why is there no school on Wednesday in France?

The idea of a weekday off dates to 1882, when secular primary education became compulsory in France: a day without classes, then Thursday, was to allow for religious education outside school. In 1972 a government decree fixed Wednesday instead as the mandatory day off.

Why does France not have school on Wednesday?

That French schoolchildren have had Wednesdays off is a quirk of history. When France instituted universal public education in the late 19th century, the government granted a weekly day off for children to attend catechism by the Roman Catholic Church.

Why desk lunches are illegal in France?

It's usually when people eat!" The government's answer: ban lunch in the workplace. Get the people outside and then open the windows to clear out the germs. That was the idea behind the 1894 decree that banned lunch at the workplace.

Which country has the longest lunch break?

Leave it to the Greeks, for whom lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Reader's Digest reported that most people in Greece head home for lunch and a nap at about 2 p.m., and return to work at 5 p.m., when other workers across the globe are finishing work for the day.

Which country takes the longest to eat?

People in France tend to spend the most time eating and drinking per day on average at 2 hours and 13 minutes. Their neighbors in Italy and Spain aren't too far behind, averaging more than two hours per day.

Do French people drink during lunch?

During the meal, in France, Belgium and Switzerland, common drinks are water (during the meal) and coffee (at the end of the meal). Traditionally, people do not drink fruit juice or soda during the meal. It is not uncommon for adults to drink an alcoholic beverage at the table (wine, beer, etc.).

What country eats lunch early?

In West Asia (Middle East) and in most Arab countries, lunch is eaten before 12:00 pm, usually between 9am and 12:00 pm and is the main meal of the day. It usually consists of meat, rice, vegetables and sauces and is sometimes but not always followed by dessert.

What country has free school lunch?

Sweden, Finland, Estonia and India are among the few countries which provide universal school meals to all pupils in compulsory education, regardless of their ability to pay.

What do Japanese kids eat for lunch?

A typical school meal consists of cooked white rice, a main dish, a side dish and soup, accompanied by dessert and milk. Examples of the Japanese food that students like are grilled fish and boiled meat and vegetables. Some students say, "I love plain rice because it matches any dish."