My daughter started school primary school this week and their school menu is fabulous.
Everything is so varied, well balanced, and so very mature – as in, they don’t just serve “kid” food – it’s adult food in small portions.
There’s endives, tuna steak, pork sautée, salads, vegetable bakes, beef steak, omelettes, chicken and rice, zucchini, and carrots and even fish stews – and all of it rounded off with delicious French cheese, yoghurt and fruits. They get an afternoon snack too; with baguette, fruit or sometimes biscuits. If I could, I’d eat there every day.
Another closer look at the menu.
And this is nothing new. As an Australian mother with an American husband, our first experience with food in a collective sense was through the creche (daycare).
Every day we would drool over the menu posted outside the entrance – fish at least three times a week, vegetables, fruits, and most importantly – cheese. It really amazed me that these 1-3 year olds were eating cheeses such as brie and camembert. My palate was not as developed at their age; we used to eat Kraft cheese slices and thought that was special.
School staff took so much pride in explaining that they had their own chef, that he selected bio foods where possible and everything was home made. And this was a public creche – where I paid less than €10 a day for food, childcare and all the rest. I couldn’t believe it.
Children at a school in northern France’s Caen. Photo: AFP
All the kids sit down together to eat – they teach them table manners, routine, setting the table and eating properly so early. And my daughter eats absolutely everything; in fact, when we go to the market, she is the one who asks to get broccoli.
CONTINUE READING: http://www.thelocal.fr/20160902/do-french-kids-get-the-best-school-lunches-in-the-world
Source: Thelocal.fr