How Lunches Are Made In French Elementary Schools
In French elementary schools, lunch is prepared onsite and with fresh ingredients. Here are photos that depict what a "homemade" meal for lunch can look like.
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A broad look at the kitchen.
It's equipped to prepare fresh food, not just heat up frozen dishes.
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A chef cooks cauliflower.
Leeks cook on the stovetop.
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A chef cooks vegetables.
A chef finishes fish preparation in the oven.
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A chef seasons the vegetables.
A fresh bread delivery arrives each morning.
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The potatoes are mashed.
Dessert is fresh peaches.
The finished meal is ready to eat.
Students use real silverware and drink from glass cups.
Students eat in groups of four.
The student sitting in the red chair is the only one who can get up to fetch more water or fresh bread.
Rebeca Plantier is a journalist and author of French School Lunch, a two-year research project on France’s public school lunch program promoting health and wellbeing in children. She writes about about healthy living, travel, parenting and the French lifestyle—and her work has appeared on various sites, such as Huffington Post, Business Insider, Salon, EatLocalGrown, travel site Matador Network and many others. Find her at rebecaplantier.com.