What French Kids Eat For School Lunch

[Hammock Parties]

:bowdown:

I was standing inside my children’s public elementary school cafeteria, or “cantine” as the French call it, in our local town near Annecy, France. As part of my research into why French kids aren’t fat, the local city council gave me a tour of the public school’s cantine and kitchen and let me ask any question that came to mind.

There are many theories as to why the French, and French children in particular, do not suffer from weight problems, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension like their American counterparts. Eating moderate quantities of fresh and freshly prepared food at set times of the day is definitely one of the most convincing reasons why they stay lean. Daily exercise, in the form of three recess periods (two 15-minute and one 60-minute recess every day) and walking or biking to and from school, is another.

What do French kids eat?

Menus are set up two months in advance by the cantine management staff, and then sent to a certified dietitian who makes small “corrections.” The dietitian might take out a small chocolate éclair and replace it with a kiwi for dessert if she thinks there's too much sugar that week. Or she may modify suggested menus by adding more or fewer carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, or protein to keep the balance right.

Almost all foods are prepared right in the kitchen; they’re not ready-made frozen. This means mashed potatoes, most desserts, salads, soups, and certainly the main dishes are prepared daily. Treats are included — the occasional slice of tarte, a dollop of ice cream, a delicacy from the local pastry shop.

First course: Cucumber and tomato salad

Main course: Veal marinated with mushrooms, broccoli

Cheese

Dessert: Apple tart



First course: Cabbage and tomato salad

Main course: Roast beef, potatoes, baked tomatoes with herbs

Cheese

Dessert: Kiwi



First course: Tabouleh (made with bulgur)

Main course: Sausages, zucchini

Dessert: Ice cream, apple



First course: Potato and pickle salad

Main course: Breaded fish, cauliflower

Cheese

Dessert: Peach

Where does the food come from?

“All our fruits, vegetables, fish and meat are sourced locally, some of them from local farms,” according to Dany Cahuzac, the city counselor in charge of school matters, including the cantine. The local bakery delivers bread, a staple of every French meal, fresh every morning. And every two days, there is at least one organic item on the menu. Once a month, an entirely organic meal is served. The only drink offered at lunchtime is filtered tap water, served in glass pitchers.

Just as important: how the kids eat.

As the children come streaming into the cantine, they sit down at tables of four that are already set and wait for older student volunteers to bring the first course to their table. The child who sits at the designated “red” chair is the only one who is allowed to get up to fetch more water in the pitcher, extra bread for the bread basket, or to ask for extra food for the table. After finishing the first course (often a salad), volunteers bring the main course platter to the table and the children serve themselves. A cheese course follows (often a yogurt or small piece of Camembert, for example), and then dessert (more often than not, fresh fruit).

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14845...-to-shame.html

Thanks!!!

[NewChief]

Some communities (like mine) are trying to move in this direction. This video covers our farm-to-school initiative:

https://webapps.fayar.net/fps/FPSVid...choolVideo.mp4

[DrunkBassGuitar]

Originally Posted by Count Zarth

No. Weight is maintained most easily through regulation of diet.

French people walk a lot. Driving is expensive and the cities aren't really built for them, so they walk a lot more than Americans. They also exercise a lot more for recreation. But portion size is a big deal, since a lot of french food isn't really low in fat or calories

[Dayze]

Do they get mc'rib knockoffs?

[blaise]

Sometimes I go to my kids school for lunch - the American kids that bring have processed foods and sandwiches generally. Crackers, breakfast bars, etc.
And then you'll see some kids that look like they have an Indian or Asian background and they'll pull out a tupperware or thermos with some sort of rice or noodle dish mixed with vegetables.

[TLO]

I would have started a riot if my school tried to feed me some of that stuf.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by blaise

Sometimes I go to my kids school for lunch - the American kids that bring have processed foods and sandwiches generally. Crackers, breakfast bars, etc.
And then you'll see some kids that look like they have an Indian or Asian background and they'll pull out a tupperware or thermos with some sort of rice or noodle dish mixed with vegetables.

There was no use in going to my kids' lunch. They got 15 minutes to eat. You can barely get through the line, let alone sit down and eat.

You think that doesn't contribute to obesity? Or the epidemic of GERD?

Public schools are horrible.

Notice the very first paragraph of the article - outside of fresh food, the French kids get NINETY minutes of recess. In our schools system, they get the aforementioned 15-minute lunch and two TEN minute recesses. That's right, a total of 20 minutes.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DrunkBassGuitar

French people walk a lot. Driving is expensive and the cities aren't really built for them, so they walk a lot more than Americans. They also exercise a lot more for recreation. But portion size is a big deal, since a lot of french food isn't really low in fat or calories

I lived in Germany and it's true there too.

They walk and they bike. Hell, the majority of cities don't even allow auto traffic in the main downtown areas. You HAVE to walk or take the bus.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

German [vinegar], Mustard and Mayo mostly, with a little Curried and Loaded [w/sour cream as binder] in the mix.

Depending on the region in Germany.

Some yellow mustard. Some white mustard. Some no mustard at all.

In Nürnberg, the potato salad I ate was a bit of vinegar and sugar, with a little crisped ham (bacon), over browned (rather than boiled) potatoes...

[DaKCMan AP]

DaKCMan AP's menu while at work today:

First course: mixed unsalted cashews, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, and walnuts served with dried apricots

Second course: yogurt and cheese

Third course: salad of kale and tomatoes with multigrain bread

Fourth course: red grapes and a black plum

Fifth course: banana

Only beverages served throughout the day are loose-leaf tea and water.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There was no use in going to my kids' lunch. They got 15 minutes to eat. You can barely get through the line, let alone sit down and eat.

You think that doesn't contribute to obesity? Or the epidemic of GERD?

Public schools are horrible.

Notice the very first paragraph of the article - outside of fresh food, the French kids get NINETY minutes of recess. In our schools system, they get the aforementioned 15-minute lunch and two TEN minute recesses. That's right, a total of 20 minutes.

That is definitely true. If a kid is in the back of the line for paid lunch he sits down, eats for a few minutes and then the teacher starts telling them to finish up. And for little kids like kindergarteners and first graders they just can't physically eat that fast. Plus they talk a little because they're kids and don't really understand time the way an older kid does.
And if they forget to get a spoon or something they have to hold their hand up and wait for a teacher to tell them to go which takes several minutes.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

DaKCMan AP's menu while at work today:

First course: mixed unsalted cashews, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, and walnuts served with dried apricots

Second course: yogurt and cheese

Third course: salad of kale and tomatoes with multigrain bread

Fourth course: red grapes and a black plum

Fifth course: banana

Only beverages served throughout the day are loose-leaf tea and water.

Goddamn hippies!

[-King-]

Yet people talk shit when someone tries to implement a similar school diet here in the States...
Posted via Mobile Device

[htismaqe]

Where does the food come from?

“All our fruits, vegetables, fish and meat are sourced locally, some of them from local farms,” according to Dany Cahuzac, the city counselor in charge of school matters, including the cantine. The local bakery delivers bread, a staple of every French meal, fresh every morning. And every two days, there is at least one organic item on the menu. Once a month, an entirely organic meal is served. The only drink offered at lunchtime is filtered tap water, served in glass pitchers.

Here's your answer as to why this would never happen in the US.

Schools = government = bureaucracy = big business

Schools would never be able to source locally and cut food distributors and manufacturers out of their multibillion-dollar government contracts. Lobbyists in DC would never allow that to happen.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There was no use in going to my kids' lunch. They got 15 minutes to eat. You can barely get through the line, let alone sit down and eat.

You think that doesn't contribute to obesity? Or the epidemic of GERD?

Public schools are horrible.

Notice the very first paragraph of the article - outside of fresh food, the French kids get NINETY minutes of recess. In our schools system, they get the aforementioned 15-minute lunch and two TEN minute recesses. That's right, a total of 20 minutes.

My kids were so excited this year because they added a second 15 minutes recess this year. Prior to that, it was a single 15 minute recess each day.

There's definitely a push back against all of this shit, but the problem is the pressure that schools feel to perform. I'm a firm believer (and some research shows) that kids would perform better academically if schools would reduce the amount of classroom time and increase free play and physical activity periods, but that's quite a leap of faith and counterintuitive to schools that are under the gun for their test scores (Oh hey! Let's spend LESS time preparing kids for these tests!).