School lunch in Japan is an education.

In elementary in Japan, children all students have to eat the same school lunch 給食(きゅうしょく). 

In Japan lunch is considered not only a time to feed students, but also an opportunity to educate them about many thing.

Here's a look at an average school lunch.

(Thease scenes are Before covid-crisis.

Now the children eat their school lunches apart and do not talk during meals.

I hope things will return to normal soon.)

After class in the morning

The students on lunch duty 給食当番(きゅうしょくとうばん)wear white coats and go to pick up lunch for the whole class. There are about eight to ten of us on lunch duty, and we rotate every week.

The other children arrange their desks in groups of about four so that they can eat their school lunch.

Distribute lunch

Students on lunch duty will distribute lunch to everyone. At first, it may be difficult to distribute the dishes while thinking about how to distribute them evenly.

After the school lunches are distributed, the children adjust the amount they can eat. If the amount is too much, reduce it; if it is too little, increase it beforehand. Knowing the amount of food they can eat will also help reduce food waste.

What children learn from school lunches

There are many things that children learn through school lunches.

🔸How to use chopsticks

🔸Dining manners

🔸Nutritional balance

🔸About seasonal ingredients

🔸About local ingredients

If their school has the kitchen, the cook or nutritionist will often tell them this story.

In that case, the children can learn more about it.

🔸Recipes

🔸Cooking tools

This is a good chance for children to get to know the people who work there.

As part of the class, they may be given a tour of the kitchen and interview the staff.

After the school lunch

Children clean up their own dishes after finishing their meal.

It is a little difficult for children who are slow to eat. Also, the pace may slow down if there is a menu item they don't like.😅

In fact, I was so slow to eat my school lunch that I had to spend my recess eating.😭

That's why I hated school lunches.

The person in charge of school lunch collects all the children's dishes and returns them to their original places.

Cost and Nutrition

The monthly cost of school lunches paid by parents at public schools is approximately 4,000 yen for elementary school and 4,500 yen for junior high school.

Nutritionists create menus based on the nutritional needs of children. It can be a challenge to find the right balance of nutrition while staying within a budget.

Milk seems to be an essential part of school lunches because of its low budget and high nutrition. For a long time, milk was always included in school lunches.

handout

The children will take home a printout of the school lunch announcement.

It contains the menu and nutritional information for the month. In addition, there are recipes and information about ingredients and things to keep in mind when eating at home.

Some parents refer to it as a reference so that their dinner will not be the same as the school lunch.😉

School lunch is also important for parents.

During long vacations like summer vacation, there are no school lunches, so parents have to prepare lunch, which is hard for working people! 😣

They are grateful for inexpensive school lunches that take nutrition into consideration.