American reacts to France's Gourmet School Lunches

[@SuperLn1991]

The french government has strict rules concerning food at schools: - vending machine are illegal - at least 50% of products have to be locals or 20% of a meal - each mean should at least contain one organic element - meals should be planned according to the nutritious chart of the kids age in composition and portions size - no other drink than water should be provided unless it's an exception (like one per year a juice or soda for an event) during lunch time - no addition of salt and no salt at disposition for kids - meals should contain 4 to 5 course - specials meals could be provided in case of an allergy, for example - at least one vegetarian option per week - the lunch time must be a "privileged moment of discovery and pleasure" - Fried food, junk food (ice cream, burger, pizza,...) and ketchup are allowed but maximum once per month. - No meal should be served more than twice the same month to ensure a great variety. Also, it's a tradition for schools (both public and private) to hold a "week flavor". During this week kids are served foreign food to discover new taste. For example, monday: USA, tuesday: Thai etc... And yes, lunch time is longer: 1h30 to 2h (they don't eat for 2hours, mostly for 45min, and play the rest of the time. Lunch rooms are often smalls so they take turn, starting with the youngest).

[@victoriagossani8523]

Bravo, perfectly described.

[@1964_AMU]

Do you know for what number of students a chef has got to be hired ? I have a friend working for a catering facility and they have one chef. They make 500 meals a day, delivered to 10 village schools.

[@SuperLn1991]

@@1964_AMU I know they needs to have the meal prepared by a certified chef (and his team ) and a nutritionist no matter the number of kids fed but I don't know what are the other rules about it. But they are lots of different kind of kitchen styles. Some schools have their private kitchen, some will command from a big group that deliver to hundreds of schools. But I know that it doesn't always depends on the budget, some very small schools without much budget can have a private kitchen for example.

[@TallisKeeton]

it seems very good exept for salt. salt is very important to be healthy. :)

[@1964_AMU]

@@TallisKeeton indeed, but you do not know how many tons of salt French can eat yearly. Cooking with decreased quantity of salt in France means normal quantity.

[@plutoniumlollie9574]

I always failed to understand why American school lunches aren't taken as an opportunity, to provide the kids with some proper nutrition. Especially if you consider, that the lunches are the only meal of the day for some of the poor kids. And I fail to understand how people expect brains to work well, if you're only fed junk food. Proper food culture, which also includes the proper usage of cutlery, are part of raising a kid into a cultured adult.

[@9LiveEmpire]

when you fail to understand something about a large group/ an enterprise/ the government action then the answer is more than likely MONEY, particularly when it has to do with the USA

[@etienne8110]

It was at first. School lunches were gov funded during the great depression to ensure kids got at least one nourishing meal a day and buy agricultural local products, thus sustaining the economy. It went downhill in the 60s when corporations began to see it as a source of income. Earning the contract without clear charts. So the goal became to "feed" for as cheaply as possible, to keep margins going up. Ending with "food" worse than animal feeding.

[@trorisk]

Moreover, in poor countries cheap or free lunch is still the main argument for poor families to send their children to school. Otherwise families had to make the child work so that they could feed him.

[@individuquelconque453]

I've heard in an english course that some us schools are signing deals wigh fast food brands in order to feed their kids, so I guess lunches are seen as an opportunity... (I refuse to believe that it is a common practice, but it exists)

[@Sine-gl9ly]

@@plutoniumlollie9574 In deprived areas of the UK, school attainment (in infant and primary schools especially, where the foundations are laid) markedly improved in those areas where schools provided a light but nourishing breakfast with some starch, some protein (usually dairy) and a piece of fruit, as well as the 'regulation' school dinners. Very little in the way of facilities is required to provide something simple like that

[@devilkuro]

The reason the mother was called by the school because the kid didn't show up at lunch is because of safety reason. My mother used to work in an elementary school here in France and they would make sure that every kid that was supposed to eat lunch at school, was eating lunch at school. If a kid doesn't show up and they didn't get told that he wasn't coming, they have to make sure the kid is safe and didn't run out of school or got kidnapped. Of course, if the parents come to take a kid out of school to eat lunch with them, it's okay, but they need to inform the school that he will be missing lunch so that they don't panic that a child ran away or got abducted.

[@Pandemonis]

... that a child tan away, got abducted *or skipped lunch* ! ;)

[@SuperLn1991]

Yes, and also, they booked a lunch for the kid so the mother would have been paying for nothing as she didn't' t cancel.

[@acmulhern]

Taking your kid out of school without informing anyone is absolutely unacceptable behaviour. Can you imagine the panic when they counted the kids and one was missing.

[@lysancasilvestris4449]

This isn't in all schools though, I guess it depends on the level. My stepdaughter is in lycée and often skips lunch because the queues are longer than the lunch break (they have the Gods know how many kids in that school) and nobody cares. I can imagine that in primary schools though.

[@vorastrixaridarastrixiejir403]

@@lysancasilvestris4449 Yep : when you reach lycée (our equivalent of high school), you are considered mature enough that you don't require constant supervision.

[@icitlalistardust9060]

As a French, we consider that socialization of children must happen as early as possible, especially nowadays that families have fewer siblings ! Plus most women work, and can only have parental leave up to the third birthday of their kid. This is why kids go to preschool as soon as three years old.

[@alexysq2660]

*@lcitlalistardust9060* Et tu savais que, aux E-U, la vaste plupart des parents - mm les nouvelles mamans - ils ont aucun des droits de prendre mm autant qu`un jour du temps juste *sans salaire* pour rester chez eux avec - et pour s`en occuper du - nouveau-ne´: le seul < pays de[ ´ ]veloppe´ > du monde entier ou` se trouvent les conditions pareille ( quel pays e[ ´ ]choue´, hein ? ) et c,a c`est vraiment honteux quoi, non - surtout d`un pays qui tellement se prend pas du tout pour de la petite m*rde...?! ~Pardon stp que je sois une telle ra[^]leuse absolue moi 😟🩷🩵

[@adrianboardman162]

It's not only that, starting them from such a young age allows you to teach proper table manners, to try foods that they may not try when they're older, prepare them for adulthood really. If you did a Lunch interview, and they ate like a barbarian, would you employ that person? Or the person that you interviewed the day after who at least knew how to use etiquette?

[@ejokurirulezz]

That's in every mentally developed country. It's common sense.

[@dyonisth]

@@alexysq2660 Une personne française, tout simplement, considérés comme des râleurs patentés... Et je suis français moi même.

[@alexysq2660]

@@dyonisth Ah, moi j`adore trop alors 😊.... ~🩷

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

Please notice all Americans, the children are using cutlery. The same in the UK. They are given cutlery very early on.

[@arch4053]

Well, obviously, Should the kids be eating with their hands then?

[@mats7492]

@@arch4053 In the US, they often get food that you eat with your hand.. pizza, tacos, etc.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@arch4053 you say obviously, but I’ve seen kids in America six not using proper cutlery. Have you seen adult Americans using cutlery? It’s a painful drawn out process. Were they cut all the food first, and then use the fork.

[@lecabillaud6060]

@@arch4053 Real American kids eat food with their guns!

[@aidencox790]

@@arch4053 MOSTLY THEY DO - YES THEY EAT EITHER USING HEIR UNWASHED HANDS OR A PLASTIC FORK. THE FOOD IS SERVED EITHER IN AN ALUMINUM OR PLASTIC OR SOFT POLYSTYRENE CONTAINER THAT IS SUBSEQUENTLY THROWN AWAY AFTERWARDS TO ADD TO THE GHASTLY PILES OF AMERICAN WASTE WHICH IS THE HIGHEST IN THE WESTERN WORLD. THEN IT'S OFF TO A LANDFILL OR CHINA AFTER THAT AS MOST USED ITEMS ARE NOT RECYCLED IN THE US EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD BE.

[@shusake97]

From experience, a meal in a french school has a starter, a main course, cheese, dessert and a piece of bread. Even if your not living in the city

[@Deadlus-p3m]

Those were not 'escargots', (snails), they were whelks, from the sea. Very good lots of minerals.

[@fatherson5907]

@@Deadlus-p3m the UK is a third world dump

[@galadinthedark9862]

Well, not really whelks, but sea snails. They are bigger ant the taste is a little different. Whelks are small, black and very diffucult to eat for a three old kid.

[@Deadlus-p3m]

@@galadinthedark9862 Is that USA terminology?

[@Deadlus-p3m]

@@galadinthedark9862 "Buccinum undatum" In France "Bulots" In Germany "Wellhornschnecken" In Italy "Buccini" and the small black shellfish that we eat with a pin in France we call "Bigorneaux" or English call "Periwinkle".

[@galadinthedark9862]

@@Deadlus-p3m OK, my bad...

[@tosa2522]

How to eat healthily is also a kind of education.

[@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld]

But do this at home… not in school?? Is this a normal school…?

[@tosa2522]

School is there to learn something that parents cannot teach. If parents have no idea about healthy eating, how can they teach their children?

[@ejokurirulezz]

Imagine considering French cuisine healthy.

[@Solveig.Tissot]

​@@ejokurirulezzYour lack of knowledge is as hopeless as your opinion

[@allinix7]

​@@ejokurirulezzHow can you say that lmao ?? You clearly are ignorant.

[@carlop.7182]

Keep in mind that in France, quality food is an integral part of culture. If you ever travel there, prepare yourself for an experience, because you will eat, eat and eat again, and usually, very high quality food. It's part of the experience there, and not much a fast food culture, I would say the opposite, it slow food--you take time to taste everything, so eating there takes forever, and as the lady said in the school cafateria: at the table, we don't play, we eat. I did eat a lot when I was there, many years ago. especially cheese, but you have to like strong tasty cheese, nothing is bland in France.

[@agnesmichel1286]

You can find cheese for every taste, including mild cheese. Children mostly hate strong cheese with footy smells, it is an aquired taste. And I must say that cheese sold in supermarket is mostly pasteurised.

[@ringsaphire]

Well, we have had a very avid consumer base for fast foods too. But it was imported culture, not historical. The saga of the beginnings of MsDonald in France is a very interesting one, lots of ups and down in the fast food Wars between McDo, Quick and BK. They sold a Mc Donald's franchise for cheap to a french guy because they did not believe it would work in the land of high gastronomy but they were wrong; then they did not renew it with him, kicked him out to open their own restaurants, so he changed his into Quick. BK was there already so they opened one McDo next to each of their restaurants to take them down out of the business by 1997, until the nostalgia from french customers convinced them to make a successfully hyped come back 15 years later in 2012.

[@erasorz]

@@agnesmichel1286 Well, all my children tasted raw milk Roquefort before one year old and loved it...

[@agnesmichel1286]

@@erasorz and I still hate it at 65. "Des goûts et des couleurs, on ne discute pas."

[@erasorz]

@@agnesmichel1286 Exactement.

[@surfaceten510n]

Kids in America eating from trays to get them used to prison dining etiquette in later life.

[@alexysq2660]

*@surfaceten510n* Oooh, the s-h-a-d-e of it *all* 😆 ; and the t r u t h as *ẃell,* sadly enough 😞🩵....

[@theoteddy9665]

uuuuuuuuuu😂 that one was on a chin😂

[@jurgengrove2488]

Well ! That is a good point..

[@adeptusmagi]

well TBH ive seen works canteens use those TV dinner trays as well 18 years ago when i came here to France a cafe lunch menu was price controlled at about 11 euros and was 5 to 7 courses often with wine included(normally half a liter per person very often though with a free refill if you wanted)

[@acmulhern]

European prisons also use real plates and cutlery. They might make exceptions for high security units, but other than that it's ceramic plates and stainless steel cutlery.

[@vukkulvar9769]

In France, a meal is not just a meal, it's also a social event. Even if it's just parents and children. You talk about your day, what's coming tomorrow, what's the evening activity, ... Gathering meals, be it at home or restaurant, can last hours. Appetizers, chit chat, first course, chit chat, second course, chit chat, cheese platter, chit chat, dessert, chit chat...

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@vukkulvar9769 what about the people who live alone young people and elderly people? Or Couples. Also, when you were together is a big family sometimes very stressful with family rows. Especially when you’re talking about Brexshit 😢

[@vukkulvar9769]

@@phoenix-xu9xj We french people like to debate, can become heated, but we hold no grudge afterward

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@vukkulvar9769 well done. But sadly not when it comes to Brexit. We remainers cannot forgive and move on. We lost too much.

[@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld]

Well I wonder… why do you eat in school? We go home for lunch.. 😅

[@okawashi]

@@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld People don't always live near the school and they might be working... And the children like to eat with their friends.

[@Hermessio]

As an French who has lived in several western EU countries, it is pretty much the same in many other EU coutries (except in the UK where the shcool food is garbage). In many EU countries school can be started at 3 (even if it is often not mandatory before 5/6 yo) and the food is under our standards "OK" in terms of taste but it is at least always diversified and good from a nutritional/educational standpoint. Menus are most of the time overvied by a nutritionist. And ofc there are some variations in quality according to the city you live. But keep in mind that for such a universal service WE PAY TAXES.

[@ffotograffydd]

School food isn’t “garbage” in the UK. Have you even been inside a UK school? 😂

[@aidencox790]

@@ffotograffydd Has Hermess-io even been in an English school? Or even has Hermess-io been in any school. The English don't say mad as a box of frogs for no reason!! MT English school meals were excellent and healthy. Just look what French food did for Macron - it turned him into a very short Leprechaun. Didn't do Napoleon too much good either did it 😎😎

[@carokat1111]

I live in Australia and know that Jamie Oliver has done a heap of work to improve the quality of school lunches in England. I believe he's been quite successful and certainly has raised awareness.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@ffotograffydd perhaps primary, but definitely Secondary and we don’t have 5 courses. Come on, they are not to the quality of these meals. And I used to be a teacher.

[@cyberfux]

@@ffotograffydd It may not be literal garbage, but isn't it still, i don't know, UK food?

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Yes, my kids were shocked by how their classmates bolted their food, when they began school in DC (for six years). At home, I followed the example set by my own childhood. Dinner is 60 minutes. Talk, eat, digest, enjoy, share the day, and no tv, mobile phone, or ambiant music. My kids now do the same with their boys.

[@AliasSchmalias]

No problem with ambient music. Choral music for example has a supportive effect 🙏🏻

[@MrDarkneah]

if its a book its not allowed too ? x) it feels like so fake to do that cant you interact with your kid during the rest of the day ? ..... you wont be able to talk seriously with someone when many people are around so basic talking during dinner is useless

[@jfrancobelge]

Same at home. During meals, cell phones, computers, books are not allowed. If someone calls as we eat, they can leave a message if it's important, we'll get back to them after eating.

[@Ganlix]

@@MrDarkneah During the day your kid is in school then he may in an activity/sport club so no

[@MrDarkneah]

@@Ganlix you dont have kids ? what are you saying in which weird country you live in ? america lol even with all that you have many hours available except if youre a selfish parent who wants to be left alone ..... i guess you have an i pad kids then or you know nothing about the world to talk with your child except the boring life talks

[@ElunedLaine]

US eating drives Europeans crazy because it's a fork, not a shovel

[@martynnotman3467]

Also we have two hands. You can hold both the knife AND fork at the same time

[@baronmeduse]

I lived in France for 10 years and saw lots of people shovelling food into their mouths.

[@liamwagner6597]

@@baronmeduse possibly expats from the US living in France

[@ryanwuzer]

it's a tiny shovel!!!

[@alexysq2660]

@@baronmeduse Oh, bien su[^]r ; en franc,ais c,a c`est < bouffer a` la pelle > par exemple, comme peut-e[^]tre de[ ´ ]ja` tu en sais bien ( c`est a`dire, de l`expression ! ) , ainsi que < s`empiffrer > , < s`en mettre plein la lampe > , et < se taper la cloche > , = ¨to stuff one`s face¨ : bon appe[ ´]tit 😁🩵...!!

[@pitshard6079]

In my French middle school canteen, the food was very good, they even had a partnership with the adjacent farm, everyone loved the chef and greeted him with a big smile. But highschool was different... it mostly used frozen prepared meals, so it was tough going from one to the other... not every french school canteen is good

[@jostlydia2523]

It takes 15 to 20 minutes after the start of the meal to experience a feeling of fullness. So you should eat slowly and not gobble up the meal.

[@PUTDEVICE]

I think many people stress too much during the day. they have to manage so much in such a short time. instant coffee on the go. buy a slice of pizza to eat on the way. but it's probably mostly in the big cities.

[@nicolascroisier3083]

@@PUTDEVICE I'm not sure about what I'm going to say but I think I heard that US people are working more than in France (and many Europe's countries), so these workers haven't the time to correctly (for their health) eat. In France (I'm live in), most of the time, the average work hours is like 8am to 12pm and 13pm (or sometimes 13:30pm or 14pm) to 17pm or 18pm (but hours depends of where you are: school, work, etc). So having the time for a mostly good and "slow" meal. For me, the middle day break is, of curse to eat, but also to get the stress lower. Maybe (or probably) not the same for all people .. If France living-in people come here, dont hesitate to correct me ;) (sorry if my english phrases aren't correct, even after many years of studying, i still have some lack ^^)

[@PUTDEVICE]

@@nicolascroisier3083 think you're right, some have to have two jobs to cover the monthly bills. the companies do everything to earn as much as possible. is not sure that you get all the benefits even if you have a so-called full-time job. a lot of mold when there is not a strong union behind the workers. would be a law requiring companies to sign contracts with the union

[@alexcopp]

French here, never had to complain about my schools lunches, very generous portions

[@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld]

Really? Why do you not eat at home? Plz tell me

[@alexcopp]

@@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld Because I enjoyed eating with my friends, and because there is no time to do so... In France we have school on aftrenoons as well

[@EliasBac]

@@chenandorlandoaroundtheworld Unless you live under 15min walk from school, there is not enough time. I used to eat lunch at home because I was close. But sometimes I just had lunch there just to hang out.

[@keefazstudio]

From older generation, food was not so great. I know the even older generation (before 1956) children could have a glass of wine with school lunch though

[@camadams6019]

Hum ! No because that was a fun time … we had like 2 hours to eat and play with friends … and you try new food local food or international food (like couscous with semoule and dry grapes)

[@tommyflorida9204]

I spent 3 years in a French boarding school in high school. The best thing is the food. It was out of this world. It was also very varied, balanced, and healthy. French cuisine will always be the best for me. Back in the US, I never touch any fast food again.

[@safedreams6241]

France is also one of the countries in the world where Mac Donald is the most prosperous

[@LeMigouduMusée]

​@@safedreams6241 Burger consumption is down 3.5% compare to 2019, pizza is up 8%

[@edbi5505]

@@safedreams6241 oui mais les burgers sont fabriqués avec de produits locaux et sains, c'est aussi pourquoi ils sont plus chers que partout ailleurs dans le monde ....

[@philipcoriolis6614]

@@safedreams6241 McDonald adapted to France, not France to McDonald.

[@safedreams6241]

@@philipcoriolis6614 No, France has become very Americanized. France is becoming less and less France...finding restaurants with traditional French recipes is becoming more and more difficult.

[@kapolacraft]

French school are divided in five part: 3 to 6 year old is maternel for basic (writting, reading, discovery stuff) so 3 years. 6 to 11 is école élementaire (elementary school) where you will start basic for french, english, maths, history and geography during 6 years. 11 to 14 is collège (middle school) You add a 3rd language, physic, geologie, anatomy and electronic for 4 years. 14 to 17 is lycée (high school) where thing get a little wacky because you have to choose if you want a scientific course, a literature course, an econimic course or one of 12 technological course for the next 3 year All the previous are free (except lunch and book rental with bail ) 18+: université, grande école and other kind of diploma (university/great school) this range from 2 to 8 more year of studying. If great school are really close to prestigious university in america, entrance examen, high tution fee yada yada, the other top level education will range from free to less than 5k€.

[@p4olo537]

It's more école primaire than élémentaire.

[@raatroc]

France is a country of passion ... the U.S. is a country of money and big corporations ... the rest is easy to understand ...

[@francocanuck]

You could not say it better

[@ThePinkPantha21]

The rest of the world benefits from it though. Instead of using it as an opportunity to boast as superior, it can open a conversation as to WHY things are the way they are in the US.

[@chinchenping]

fun fact, my daughter's school chose Sodexo for their lunch (same as the one for the olympic btw) and parents complained so much that next year they will rent a kitchen (not enough room to have one in school) and hire a real chef what is important to know is that the organisation of "ecole primaire" (5-11 years old) depends on the mayor. Parents vote.

[@1964_AMU]

Sodexo is a subsidy of Wagon-Lits, they only make money... There should be a boycot of Sodexo. They are catering for hospitals and retirement houses.

[@miniamaba6963]

Fun fact: ftg stp. Sodexo toute ma scolarité puis mes premières années de travail dans un hôpital public et c'est sain , diversifié et surtout SAFE. La vérité c'est que ton ecole de rat avait du prendre la prestation minimum pour payer le minimum tout en voulant le maximum en bon français moyen que vous êtes . Tu ne donnes pas le moindre exemple de ce qui n'allait pas. Du coup ça a décidé d'exploiter un pauvre type à la place, en bons guignols dociles à qui on a dit de geuler sur la sodexo, les mêmes lumieres qui gueulent sur la SNCF et refusent de se vacciner. Putains et ça se reproduit en plus.

[@miniamaba6963]

​@@1964_AMUOk, et du coup ça vote pour quel extreme ? Le boomer hystérique raciste envers les américains et les allemands ou la blonde millionaire raciste envers tout le monde ? 🤔

[@etienne8110]

​@@1964_AMUthere are many levels of Sodexo. They can provide premium catering service or shitty retirement home mass food... I worked in a clinic (private hospital) where food for both workers and patients was under sodexo and they did a fine job. It was good food, made on site, varied etc... But the budget wasn t the same as a school menu i d bet. 😅

[@ChronicTHX]

@@etienne8110 Mon restau d'entreprise cc'est du Sodexo et c'est décent. Bon après jee préfère aller me taper un petit naan + curry à l'indien d'à côté pour quasiment le même prix parce que meilleur, mais quand je vais à la cafet parce que flemme ou manque de temps, c'est pas déguaulasse. J'irai pas dire bon mais ca passe et c'est équilibré.

[@PhilodendronShangriLa]

Lunch is the most important meal of the day in France.

[@MrDarkneah]

yeah we were brainwashed by lactel and the cereals with all the fake ads in fact its false af we are manipulated and now everyone think the lunch is important and they kill their kids without knowing it by making them eat so much sugar

[@Lootensansy2308]

That for al Europan country and in Asia to

[@alanpotter8680]

@@Lootensansy2308 The French always think that they invented food and only they have lunches. Don't tell them otherwise.

[@maximemax6840]

@@alanpotter8680 Oui on l'a inventé. Go and get your children to eat vegetables, here we teach them that vegetables are good, and at the table only water, no soda.

[@bondjamesboy]

​@@alanpotter8680what makes you feel that way ?

[@billyo54]

There's nothing as disgusting as seeing someone shovel food into their mouth. Along with talking with food in one's mouth it is the epitome of bad manners. I visited the States on a few occasions. While some Americans were perfectly well mannered and polite, all too often the ate like pigs. Does anybody teach table manners over there?

[@alexysq2660]

I would opine that the average actual porcine piggy-wiggy would most def take major umbrage at that comparison 🐷🐖😏🩷🩵....

[@jurgengrove2488]

Burping and making bad noises at the table is just as disgusting as not waiting at the table until the last person has had their food served. Knigge would definitely be a bestseller....

[@solpat1977]

I thought I was the only one who noticed that. Watch some of the videos available of Americans trying new foods. It’s like lunch time at a trough. 🤢

[@brigidsingleton1596]

​@@solpat1977 There's nowt like a snout in the trough, m'dear Slops, and sloughing out from pre-sliced pizza and mayyyybe a root beer?! Looks (ugh) and sounds....oh I fear To further describe what US kids have to eat, drink and "spear" Surely they learn how to cut up a steak Steak cutlery, pre-sharpened, their non-divided plate A spork, an invention like a shovel to fill Open mouth, empty bellies, numbed minds, and the option to to kill... Or, maybe pasta ought to be rolled Tis time for School Boards, their chief's to scold?

[@alanpotter8680]

@@jurgengrove2488 Burping is not bad manners, it's a natural thing. In many countries, it's a compliment to the host. Geez, you people find bad in everything. I'm Greek, we burp, we eat loud and make a lot of noises. We enjoy ourselves. Get over yourselves or eat at home.

[@DenUitvreter]

That doesn't seem escargots to me but whelks, seafood therefore, a kind of sea snail but still no escargot. Shoveling food in bothers people because it makes them feel rushed and the food and company unappreciated.

[@picassomanu185]

No, those are Bulots, so this is seafood. But to be fair, bulots are sort of the marine equivalent to snails, so sort of, I guess?

[@steeveletur1983]

Bulots are called whelks in English

[@DenUitvreter]

@@picassomanu185 Just like shrimps are the marine equivalent of grashoppers, dolphins are the marine equivalents of porc? I like to draw the line at the coast line and I think this was an American reporter seeing a stereotype met a bit too eagerly.

[@Sine-gl9ly]

UK here. I went to school in France for 6 months when I was 14. I am now almost 80, so you can work out how long ago that was! School lunches were very good and we were served wine, but expected to dilute it. It wasn't 5 courses, or 'cordon bleue' - but it was good, appetising and varied food.

[@jfrancobelge]

Wine in schools was banned in the late 50's.

[@Sine-gl9ly]

@@jfrancobelge As I said, I was 14 at the time and I am now fast approaching 80. Simple arithmetic shows that was in the 1950s - the late 1950s. To be precise, it would have bern in 1958 or 1959 - probably the earlier date.

[@aidanclarke6106]

1956 for kids under 14 but in high school, alcohol was banned only in 1981 !! 😮😮😂

[@corentineduperche5053]

@@aidanclarke6106 non, l'alcool était interdit au lycée bien avant

[@LivariusD]

@@corentineduperche5053 Ça devait dépendre des établissements scolaire, mais mon père, né en 58, (donc lycéen vers 72-73) a bien eu du vin à la cantine. Même déjà au collège, mais il était à chez les bonnes sœurs et le vin de messe c'était une institution.

[@wendyblanchard6496]

Hi I'm French. It's actually surprising to know that americans don't eat with real plates but trays. We usually have a 3 courses lunch not 5. And there is differences from school to school. For example when I was in middle school it wasn't that great because it was all frozen meals. However it still had diversity. But in high school we had a chef, not as good as the one in the video I'm gonna say but it was a pleasure to go eat every day. And yes we do take times to eat, but we are not schocked by how americans eat fast, some French persons eat very fast too. It's more about taking time to share, as they said. The lunch break in school as in work is minimum 1hour, it can go to two hours. And when we are sat, we take time, between every courses, to discuss, to share foods. Yes we are very lucky to have a pretty good canteen.

[@joaomarreiros4906]

That is, a normal lunch.

[@jean-paulpotet1988]

10:22 I think the school authorities have the duty to check whether the toddlers are properly fed and clothed. If they detect some problem, a social worker will visit the family.

[@Mad_Scot]

Uk lunches need to take notes from our French cousins across the channel!

[@pe.bo.5038]

Oh my gosh......what a surprise!LOL

[@rexochroy2]

Jamie Oliver tried that, how did that work out for the kids. Parents need a clip round the ear . It’s their money the authorities work with. Do something not just complain.

[@geoffpriestley7310]

The meal I always remember cheese pie (cheese and mashed potato mix) top with mashed potatoes? boiled carrots and cabbage . It had pink bits in the cabbage not sure what they were both the cabbage and carrots were boiler within an inch of their lives

[@Sine-gl9ly]

@@Mad_Scot I think that's very much dependent on the school's srea, policies and administration as well as the available cooking facilities. I have a friend who is head cook at a large secondary school with a very strong ethos on healthy eating, and their meals are excellent. Another friend is head cook at a Special Needs School, and she prepares many, many individual meals daily. The Primary school local to me, with many pupils living in deprivation, lost its kitchen facilities many years ago, but has an arrangement with a local community centre to use its kitchen facilities for breakfasts and an afternoon snack all year round, and lunches are prepared off site by a catering college in the area. Not as good as a full hot meal, especially in winter, but I've seen what they get and I'd certainly eat it, fussy though I am!

[@aidencox790]

What's the matter with UK school lunches? I went to a colliery town school in England (Washington - then in County Durham) - infants, juniors then Grammar school from 1947 to 1959 just after the end of WWII. We got milk and orange juice and the meals were good, genuine fare. In the Grammar school they were very good and varied with soup, main course and followed by some kind of sweat pudding. We often could get seconds too!! We ate off ceramic dishware - never plastic or metal and were taught from the later infants school right through junior school how to hold and use a stainless steel knife and fork and we were supervised. In Grammar school we were unsupervised but nobody gulped their food down and good table manners were the norm. Maybe this civilised mealtime process has all changed and maybe the food has changed. But we lived during and after WWII, showed respect and pulled together in all ways, even with shortages and rationing which was in place for nine years after the war ended . Maybe children have changed? Or possibly family values have changed? Or the sense of entitlement? Once again we live in tough times. Don't complain. Do.

[@cerliezio]

Italian here, Similar situation here in Italy . Children not only learn the pleasure of eating but learn how to do it properly using cutlery and real plates and glasses learning proper table manners. I guess that is a distinction between a more civilised society with a lesser one. Sorry to say

[@henrybeinghonest]

Come on, no need to be mean. Table manners are not a sign of civilization, they are an expression of culture.

[@asmodee59]

Come on. No need to be arrogant.

[@astree214]

@@henrybeinghonest Do you see a big gap between culture and civilization ? For me it's nearly the same. And as a french, I love the italian food "culture", of course.

[@henrybeinghonest]

@@asmodee59 I don’t mean there is less culture in the U.S. It just doesn’t seem to revolve around the consumption of food.

[@henrybeinghonest]

@@astree214 but it’s not nearly the same. There are still humans today living with very little civilization but very rich in culture. And of course I love the French and the Italian cuisine 100% more than the American. But most of the time I prefer their music and movies.

[@mfcq4987]

Some details on school canteens in French public preschools and elementary schools: It is a responsibility of the municipalities (not the national Government), so the choice of what is prioritized in school canteens depends on the sensitivity of the elected municipal councils. In some cases, they will emphasize the health and nutritional aspect of the foods served. Sometimes they will promote taste education by training cooks and canteen staff. Sometimes they will favor the supply of organic or local food products. Sometimes they will emphasize the inclusive side by offering meals adapted to different religious dietary restrictions. And unfortunately, sometimes, they will just prefer financial and economic profitability. Many municipalities will prepare meals under “direct management” (by city agents) and some will delegate this service to specialized private companies. Generally, they almost all adopt the principle of the "family quotient", that is to say that families pay for meals at different prices depending on their income (but families never pay more than the cost price of meals because French public institutions legally can't make profits). So the school canteen is often a very political issue in France...

[@victoriagossani8523]

Perfectly explained. In my little city, they prioritise health and local food plus one vegetarian meal per week, one organic meal per week, and for the low income families it cost 1€ per day.

[@etienne8110]

And parents vote. So the mayors often is very concerned with school menus. Whereas high school cantines are under the regionnal budgets, which elections see far less participation, so they are a bit less involved.

[@Emeric62]

Bien sûr que si, les familles imposables payent bien plus que le prix du repas afin que toujours les mêmes ne payent pas 😠

[@mfcq4987]

@@Emeric62 Non. C'est illégal.

[@Lucswork]

Never had a 5 course meal in your life ? Apéro amuses, hors d'oeuvre froide, potage, entrée chaude, premier plat, sorbet champagne intermédiare, plat de résistance, plat de fromages, dessert, café biscuits, pousse-café, ... That's the good life of gourmet people.😊

[@allinix7]

Je pourrais jamais manger autant personnellement x) Et je ne bois pas d'alcool non plus.

[@helgaioannidis9365]

I think this is also a thing about culture. Like e.g. in China or Greece you get different dishes on the table contemporary and everybody takes from the middle of the table what they like in the order they like. So you get a big variety of dishes in one course.

[@jamesbrowny9488]

@@allinix7 Franchement, lorsque l'on mange autant, les proportions sont petites.

[@sebastienlang1475]

@@helgaioannidis9365 : French here. The meal where everybody eats the same things in the same order is called "service à la Russe" (Russian service ?), and appeared in France during the 17th century, to replace the "service à la Française", where all dishes were placed on the table at the same moment, like the examples you mentioned.

[@helgaioannidis9365]

@@sebastienlang1475 oh that's an interesting detail. Thank you for taking the time to write this! Merci 🙂

[@XanagiHunag]

I worked in a elementary school during the lunch times. It was two hours, one for eating, another for playing, separating the kids in two age groups (while one group was eating the other was playing). It was part of my work at the local city hall office in charge of anything related to youth at that time. This school was in a small village (3 000 inhabitants, roughly) in the south of France. The meals were prepared by two cooks, but made by a company that was chosen every year based on budget and what they offered. That year, and the next, they had chosen a one-man company that made healthy food with a pretty good portion of organic things. The meals were : appetizer, main course, cheese and dessert. The food was delivered on a daily basis, the only thing not purchased from that company was the bread, for which the town had an agreement with a local baker. As for how serious it was taken when a child was supposed to be eating lunch, every lunch monitor was assigned a classroom. They had a list, everyday, of who in that classroom was supposed to eat lunch that day. If the parent had called the school, it was written on the list, if they had given the kid a note they had to show it to us or their teacher (who would confirm that the kid was not eating there that day). We had a few times kids that were told by their parents that they were going to eat lunch in school, but were not on the list. We always ranted (among us) against the parents, but the kid always had a seat. What made us rant is that the meals delivered each day were planned for a specific number of people. The kid was made aware his parents should have warned us earlier, but we never made a scene of it as it wasn't the child's fault and his friends didn't need to know. During the lunch itself, the organization was really nice. Each lunch monitor monitored 3 or 4 tables (rarely less, never more), each table was 6 kids. We'd help them serve themselves if needed, but otherwise as long as they ate their food we didn't bother them. We didn't request for them to finish the large plates set on their tables, as the portions were quite generous for 6 kids, only that they didn't take more than they would eat. If there was leftovers and everyone at the table was fine with it, they could serve themselves again. The monitors ate with the kids and I can confirm the food was pretty good. Another rule was "Even if you don't like it, you need to at least eat one spoonful" (meals were served with some large spoon). Kids also had to clean after themselves, bringing the plates back to a cart at the end of the meal and making sure their table was clean(-ish). Any food left in their plates was placed inside a bucket to be brought to the town's compost at the end of the week (done by a monitor with kids who wanted to do it). Any food that made it back to the kitchen was free to pick for the staff as long as you brought your containers. I never did, but had I lived alone I would not have needed to cook during the week most of the time. Outside of that work experience, I remember the meals I had in high school (I was living in a dorm, so I ate them twice a day, not counting breakfast). From the few times I ate lunch at school in middle school, it had a similar organization : you had a platter, picked up an entree, main course, cheese and dessert amongst a limited selection, ate at a table then brought your platter and plates back to the dedicated place, where you'd empty leftovers and trash in a bin (they introduced a second bin specific for leftovers when I was in highschool) before leaving. "School lunches are not good" was a pretty common thing to say back then, and whilst it wasn't homemade cuisine, it was still tasty. You could choose to not pick all elements of the meal (for example, you could ask to only get vegetables and no meat if you were vegetarian or didn't want that), but the staff always made sure you had picked enough food to last the whole day (sometimes even allowing taking two entrees instead of an entree and a main course). Overall, watching american tv shows always felt weird, especially when parents would prepare a lunch bag for their kids. The only times we ate sandwiches in school was because there was a reason why we couldn't have normal food (mostly strikes) and even then they were made and distributed by the school.

[@flak_d0]

Hello, I'm French, I went to public school, and for lunch it was not like as good as what can be shown in the video, like average French school food, but I'm happy to have enjoyed lunch everyday I went to school, and never left anything in my plate. There was picky eaters, like anywhere I guess, at the time I didn't knew what American food looked like and thought the food was very average, so my thought was that they were eating better at home, but actually not always, there is more and more families that just don't have the time to cook anymore inFrance and kids being used to processed food, which is pretty sad. I had experienced school lunch in Japan and it tasted better, but today knowing what I could possibly had if I was raised in another counry makes me glad that it was France, even if French school have its own problems. Also please America make your food more healthy for children, bad habbits can ruin lifes very easily, and throwing a steamed brocoli on a plate don't really make a difference if kids won't eat it

[@Barak43]

when i went to America, i was often asked how french women stay thin with all the delicious food we have here in France without doing sport. I always answered "because we take the time to eat, and we are careful with what we eat". To eat too fast is not good for the body.

[@SatieSatie]

France is among the "thinner" countries in Europe, but it's crazy how the world has fattened up that 47% overweight in population is considered thin.

[@RealSunNysuN]

It is more about the quality of the food. Our products are more naturals without addictives

[@yumyummoany]

My grandchildren are just going into their third year in Maternelle. Four days a week from 8.15 to 4.15. First years have a nap after lunch which is phased out in the 2nd year. The lunches are like those on this video, as local as possible and as organic as possible.

[@lillaspastie]

French here and I always had at least 1h lunch at school and a break time of 20/30 minutes after every day. It's socialising, not just get your daily recommended calories 😂 It's a way of life I suppose and I am always surprised by people eating their lunch at their desk at work. It's just outrageous for me, I need to sit on a table with people to have lunch 😁 Vive la France ❤

[@june1499]

Bro as a French person I never realized we had it this good, like I would still eat everything at school but I didn’t like school lunches. As a grown up now I realize we were really well fed lol

[@ChronicTHX]

I loved food at school. I'm from an algerian family, came to France in 1998 when I was 5. French school made me discover things I'd have never eaten at home. Spinaches, Blanquette, bourguignon, brussel sprouts. and once every 2 weeks we had either discovery week (like asian food, african one, food from the DOM TOM), or a day with more junk food. I ate really well. Even something as a Mimosa Egg is delicious and so simple to make for school lunches.

[@june1499]

@@ChronicTHX On est d’accord! La variété est particulièrement remarquable dans les cantines françaises, surtout en maternelle/primaire, j’ai remarqué que collège/lycée les plats sont devenus plus simples (mais n’ont pas perdu de leurs qualités pour autant). Et dire que je suppliais ma mère de me laisser manger à la maison de temps en temps haha Aujourd’hui je suis à la fac et le CROUS propose de très bons repas également pour pas cher! On ne s’en rend pas forcément compte mais nous avons énormément de chance en France/europe en général.

[@russetmantle1]

British mum here who lives in London. My son's 12 now, but when he was young, we sent him to a French/English bilingual nursery in north London in the hope he'd pick up some French. He didn't retain much of the language, really, but the standout legacy of that place was that his eating habits were great. As you can imagine, the French expats living in London were very concerned that their kids get this kind of early food education even though they were living outside of France, so the nursery made it a priority. They'd post up the menu at the start of every week in a display case outside so you could check what it would be. Different cheese every day. Then, when you went to pick your child up, you could check a clipboard by the entrance to find out how much of the lunch your child had actually eaten. All the kids' names were down the side and there were column headers along the top designating each course. For every course your child had eaten, there would be a tick against their name. If they had had second helpings, there would be a little "x2" marker next to the tick. They would actually call parents in for a discussion if their child wasn't eating much. It was considered a developmental issue that needed attention. Luckily, our son was a munch monster and ate practically everything they served him, with the sole exception of "leek vinaigrette", which occasionally turned up on the menu and was just raw sliced leek with dressing lol. I didn't blame him for not wanting that. The upshot of all this was that my son got a taste for lots of vegetables before he became aware that vegetables were supposed to be not fun. So he never found them a burden and has eaten a wide variety of vegetables ever since. I claim zero credit for this. It was that French nursery that got him accustomed to eating well - when the culture that you're surrounded by at such a young age puts a focus on training the palate early and everybody around you is doing the same thing, it's fairly easy to eat well young. I still remember the shock on his little face when he was about to make the transition to an ordinary British primary school at age 5, and I had to break the news to him that there wouldn't be a cheese course. XD

[@Jeni10]

The human digestive system begins with the mouth. We bite the food, chew it thoroughly, and the saliva in our mouths breaks down the first mouthful. When we swallow it, we’re not supposed to wash it down, it needs to pass through the undulating oesophagus and sent to the stomach where hydrochloric acid breaks down the food even further, absorbing nutrients from every bite and distributing those nutrients to the parts of the body that need it in order to function well. The rest of the food is then sent to the intestines where toxins are detected and removed, nutrients and vitamins that are needed by the immune system are absorbed and a message is sent to the brain to tell it where those nutrients need to go. There’s a LOT more that happens in our digestive system, but if we live on junk food, we miss out on the nutrition our body needs in order to function. Without those nutrients, across a long period of time, the body forgets how to process the missing nutrients, so even when we decide to eat healthier, the body might not remember how to process those foods! This is why so many people have ultra low Vitamin D3, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, and other vitamins and minerals that support our wellbeing, vitality and immunity. Open flame BBQ actually covers meat with carcinogens but Americans argue that it tastes so good, it can’t be that bad. A google search will quickly prove it’s true!

[@olivierolivier6080]

it's important to us that poor children should eat well at lunch when we know than a lot of them can't afford it at home

[@lovelywhalee]

Hello! I’m a french student here and I honestly didn’t know it wasn’t like that everywhere. I’m in lycée (highschool) and we still have 5 courses meal. And to precise on your question kids can start school at 2 years old because of their birth date! (born in end or early in the year) it’s called toute petite section!

[@Petrelles22]

Many villages / towns are also growing their own organic vegetables to provide the schools with.

[@buzzkillington9714]

French here. By eating fast you are ruining your stomach slowly but surely (:

[@olgahein4384]

Well, France is absolutely the birth place of 'haute cuisine', of high class cooking, of fine dining. What did you expect?

[@steeveletur1983]

It's more about enjoying the meal as a social time rather than a biological obligation. And to do that, one has to eat slowly and enjoy what they have in front of them.

[@ejokurirulezz]

A buttery mess. Nothing high class. Just nose high frogs.

[@surlespasdondine]

what you describe is pretty normal for Europeans. Also it'snormal food.

[@rrain3375]

France like Italy has their main meal of the day at what Americans call lunch. Schools in Italy have a similar lunch system where you have three to four courses. Salad, Pasta, meat& veg followed with fruit and cheese. Most lunch programs costs are covered by tuition, city taxes & some generous charities.

[@marisaevancoe9837]

I'm an American. I raised my four children to learn how to eat with proper cutlery and real plates. (China was used on special occasions). We ate as a family all together; no phones or other distractions. I played classical music in the background. The biggest insult I take personally is when Europeans say "all Americans.... are loud, fat, dress like slobs, etc.". When my husband and I went on a cruise through the Mediterranean I had many of the American passengers approach me and ask me " are you European?" They would then point out that I "didn't dress or look like an American". So my point is there are exceptions to the norm. My closest friends are also very much like me.

[@dianealline4083]

There are always exceptions so don't take it too personally, just like us (I'm French) are considered as rude by foreigners, which isn't true for all french people, but what can we do, it's a stereotype, it won't change soon 🤷‍♀

[@miniamaba6963]

Sorry about racist Europeans 🇨🇵❤️🇺🇲

[@cerliezio]

@@dianealline4083 the first thing I was taught when sitting at the table was never touch food with my hands except bread. I am Italian I think this rule applies to most Italians.

[@idar1449]

I'm French and in high school the lunch was prepare by a chef. My favorites meals were a piece of tuna in a creamy sauce with berries and the bœuf bourguignon. I was never disapointed in the cafeteria.

[@miriamepage6991]

The other thing is that all those kids know how to properly use cutlery. I made an American BF when I was at Uni at had to teach him how to eat before I could bring him at my parents' home. He was holding his fork and knife like a cello.

[@svenpedersen9140]

I am not french and sometimes you (I mean "us") can hate on them but they really have their "cuisine" stuff together. Not only the french tho... other europen countries to like just an example Italy.

[@robert-antoinedenault5901]

As an ex chef/cook in high end french cuisine 🇨🇦 (now recycled as a food consultant in the manufacturing process internationally). This video made me giggle a bit as I was reminiscent of my experience as head chef of three retirement homes (owned by Chartwell). I offered home cooked meals from scratch all the while I had USA superiors giving me grief as I refused to purchase transformed (manufactured) goods. They demanded that all protein were transformed (battered, pre-cooked and such) but vegetables had also undergone some sort of transformation (peeled and cut such as frozen veg), stocks and sauces had to be powdered, desserts had to require the less amount of manipulation. I had established every month, a menu and it was season depending as produce such as berries weren't readily available nor affordable for more than 9 months out of the year. Each day there was an entree (soup or tomato juice), a salad (varied tremendously), 3 different main courses with minimum 2 veg with one of 3 choices of starch, desserts (2 choices) and then coffee, tea or herbal tea. Same as in this video. The cost to prepare (in 2015-17) varied at the low end at 3$/meal to 6$/meal which residents would be charged a flat fee of 100$/15 meal. Since it was a service offered, corporate would receive a credit tax return of 1.5$/meal. And to treat them and their families, I would offer once a month a themed menu. Might it be Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and such. To present it in a simple but eye opening way. I would require 2x22.58kg (2x50lb) bag of carrots per week per establishment and they cost me only 12.99$ but if I purchased 10kg of diced frozen carrots it would cost me 30$. A 50lb bag took my worker (with the help of a machine that I had on hand - Robot Coupe) less than 30 min to peel and cube it for a additional cost of 10$. Therefore a 50lb bag gave me free trimmings (peel and ends) to flavour a stock/broth and 20.5kg of cubed carrots for the low price of 22.95$ vs what Chartwell wanted me to purchase for 60$. It is a known fact that labour is "The" biggest expense in a kitchen (or any business) but qualified and seasoned professional workers will compensate and their knowledge will prove invaluable if you want to "cut" corners legally. Anyways there's one factor that is never brought up in the USA's reasons for this position/practice. They offer bare minimum wages to unqualified workers, therefore how can you guarantee good operations practices with fresh produce? Better pay more for frozen foods and the equipment to conserve them. That's where the vast majority of expenses go in the USA, not the workers. The math proves otherwise but corporate America follows what corporate fast food experts (McDonald, burger King, Wendy's) do. If it ain't Frozen, you're doing it wrong😂😂😂😂

[@ambroiseperret6460]

high quality food and long meals are especially important for young children as they will develop a taste for variety and good food habits.

[@jgibbs651]

Food is one of life's greatest pleasures and you should take your time to savour it. Similarly the proper use of cutlery is very important.

[@ectophyllaalba6003]

Well as a French , this is not the normality over here. We indeed have better food than the US but the lunch was pretty normal in my school. Always healty, but far from being good or this classy. Depend how rich is you're school and where do you live. Mine was poor, but the kitchen was indeed full of high tech machineries and super clean.

[@_Redia_]

I am French so I can help you a little with your questions. First, children usually go to school from the age of 3. But it is possible to enter around 2 years old, if the child no longer wears a diaper and is clean. After, we also have trays in the canteen, but the little ones are served at the table to avoid that they overturn their plates. It depends on the schools, but my school had trays for older children (7 to 11 years). Otherwise other schools also have the system of serving everyone at the table. It depends on the school. For the kids in school, they have approximately 1h30 to eat, when they’ve all finished (because everyone has to finish in order to get off the table) If there is time left, in my school, you usually spent the rest of your time in the playground until the time’s up. For what I saw during my studies, this kids eat like king. But I certainly have nothing to complain about. We ate well. Starter, dishes, desserts for 4 euros (where I went) it’s a reasonable price and even cheaper than if we ate at our parents. And finally, we certainly don’t have this system where the school says what the child should eat in the evening or if they don’t eat at the canteen. And when they summoned the mother because the son no longer ate at the canteen, it was to know whether or not the child would still eat at the canteen. Because, by not telling the school that the child no longer came to the canteen, the canteen always ordered a meal for him, which was ultimately wasted. Where I was, it was a small village, and even if you did not eat at the canteen for lunch, if you had not warned and that the meal had been ordered, you had to pay. I hope it helped or taught you something

[@mussardlucien6355]

Pippin : what about second breakfast? What about 11's lunch? afternoon tea dinner? Supper? France : yes

[@adeptusmagi]

Here in France in the country particularly the infants schools tend to serve very traditional french foods I was surprised when my nieces came to visit and from what i had" in the cupboard" chose things like "Tripe a l mode d carne" and beef tongue in sauce piquant and snails the old school cook also used to cater events for the local hunt , boules club,old peoples dinner,and the historical society's fundraisers if the children are from families where french isn't the first language the children are accepted in school younger that 3 And french children are expected to have basic reading skills before they start school !

[@Pilolitao-m3z]

As a french, your video made me realize how lucky french kids are. To us, it's not extraordinary, just the basics of the basics. I didn't even like to eat at school cafeteria because my Mom's cooking was way better. Thanks school chef, thanks Mom

[@gabciel]

As a French person who grew up in France, I can testify that the food at school is exceptionally good, every day. Good recipes with ingredients that are always fresh and of the best quality. For example, once a week we eat pizza to please the children. The pizza was a brick oven pizza, cooked in a wood fire, by a professional pizza maker. With parmesan, black olives and fresh mushrooms as extras. They were absolutely in no way inferior to a pizza from a pizzeria. And I'm not talking about American pizzas which are awful. No no, I'm talking about real pizzas! The French and Italian ones which are exceptionally good.

[@samwisegamgee6532]

« The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children » Thinking how bad are the school meals in the US bring tears to my eyes. Not being able, not caring enough to give at least for children a quality meal is unforgivable when you are the richest country in the world. It is essential to educate children what is an healthy meal, as it is essential to help parents in doing so at home. The Right to adequate Food is an human right. States have the obligation to facilitate and provide access to adequate food, especially for children as adequate food is essential for their growth and development.

[@johnfrancismaglinchey4192]

Especially in FRANCE 🇫🇷 Food preparation is a vocation.

[@pierre-frederickgalland5810]

French here. My children chose their high school based on the reputation of the quality of the food served in the canteen.

[@elenamoulin3252]

May be not the only criteria but certainly an important one.

[@pierre-frederickgalland5810]

@@elenamoulin3252 Yes of course but I raised them in a tradition of epicureanism, particularly in food. As I have had the chance to manage very good hotel-restaurants. And since they were little, they ate in gourmet restaurants.

[@jean-mariedaider5363]

We also eat junk food in France but less frequently. Mc Donalds is very popular in our country. Fortunately we try to enjoy a good lunch with French cuisine most of the time. It's not unusual to take at least 60 minutes for lunch break

[@LeLocutusFranc]

Gastronomy is the art of eating well, it's more than just taking out a frozen pizza and putting it in the oven. In France, nursery school is compulsory from the age of 3, and indeed, we try to teach children to eat well, balanced and diversified, preferably with an intake of 5 fruits or vegetables a day. This prevents deficiencies, obesity and coronary heart disease, and it's good for the planet by limiting excessive intakes of animal proteins, which are costly from an environmental point of view to produce. I understand that this is beyond an American, but it's essential.

[@mb107x]

I am French and while it's true that school lunch is controlled by the State to be healfy they are rarely considered to be "good". The chef cooking snails is a exception not the rule (but I agree that snails are delicious). Also a five course meal is completely normal in France : we hate small portions of everything. A full meal (both lunch ou dinner) takes around one hour on a work (or in this case school) day but it can last several hours for parties and celebrations with family or friends (I had to eat the whole day at some of those type of occasions and I don't regret it ).

[@steeveletur1983]

Agreed, and during holidays like Christmas, the lunch lasts so long that by the time it finally ends is already time for dinner (and you end up eating and drinking for 12h) 😂

[@Aunethc]

I went to school for a year outside of Paris when I was a kid. The food did its job, but it was not particularly good. But better than what we eat in my home country at school. It was over 25 years ago so things might have changed.

[@victoriagossani8523]

@@Aunethc They are better nowadays, really better, but it still not the case for all the schools. More they have people to serve, less the quality is. It depends also on the mayor of the city who is responsible of the choice: a chief with a good budget or a catering service that made industrial food.

[@TheCleliab]

one hour for lunch in France !

[@jurgengrove2488]

You shouldn't judge if you don't even know what "gourmet" means!!! This is the high art of cooking....

[@ebbhead20]

He didnt judge though...

[@jurgengrove2488]

@@ebbhead20 Sorry my dear but this is not correct! You should see his arroganz in his words....

[@aidencox790]

Perhaps. It is also the developing or refining of your palate which means training your taste buds to differentiate between more nuanced flavors. Once you’ve developed your palate, you’ll become very comfortable seasoning recipes to taste and understanding how to fix recipes that taste off. One can eat a gourmet meal and find it distasteful. I was married to a gourmet chef (who was also a thwarted magician who did a Cordon Bleu course and you know what, I enjoy gourmet food BUT I also enjoy a paper of properly cooked fish and chips. One gets tired of eating a diet composed of gourmet "everything" including a boiled "gourmet" Cordon Bleu soft-boiled egg and toast with specially chosen spices and damn herbs. I like simple food, such as those mentioned, curries and I adore coq au vin done by a very experienced chef who enjoys his job and doesn't cook for money alone.

[@jurgengrove2488]

@@aidencox790 Ok! Then I'll invite you to my "fried potatoes from the iron". With egg and ham

[@ebbhead20]

@@jurgengrove2488 you're not getting the flow of Americans then. He's not being arrogant. And I'm not a kid. I'm close to 60 my dear. 😉

[@jmguiche9234]

At 9:40. It is not escargot (snail) il is bulot (whelk) a seafood !

[@astree214]

You also have this video from Michael Moore - from the movie "Where to invade next" (2015) : "School Lunch France - Michael Moore" You should give it a look.

[@NSUSashiel]

I come from a well-off family and the only snag I remember from my public schooling in France was that I never got the second serving of yogurt.

[@catherinelibert3465]

Children in school don't get 5 courses meals. It will be starter, main course and cheese or dessert. The European Union has introduced a few years ago the obligation that a minimum of 25% of the food served will be organic. Over the last decades obesity has boomed in France and mainly among youngsters due to the explosion of junk food consumption. Fast food is cheaper and easier than cooking a proper meal. Here obesity is not a private concern it is a public health concern as our healthcare system is supposed to be for everyone and it has a price for the community. Being in good health is a right. School starts at 3. It has been proved that it does help the children to socialize and is of great help for children coming of foreign or poor families to learn more vocabulary and get a better integration in the school system. Moreover, more than 80% of French women are working (with the cost of life and French salaries not being that high) providing daycare and schooling solutions is also a public/French state obligation (strange for an American I imagine). Just to finish, when I was in primary school the food was horrible 😅 and not all French schools offer fantastic food as seen in the report you have seen but everything is relative...

[@SafiaRose75]

Starter, main course, desert/yogurt, cheese and fruit. Even in the hospital.

[@johnnyuk3365]

There is a very famous video of Jamie Oliver trying to change US school meals in the same way as he tried in the UK (and probably failed) and crossing swords with a very aggressive American meal supervisor who refused to believe that children in the UK can use a knife and fork and told Jamie he was lying. Sort of makes sense as American adults have the same problem with the basic use of a knife and fork. If you don’t teach children basics like using cutlery then that carries on into adulthood. There are many KZbin videos about “how to identify American tourists in Europe”, forget about how they dress and how loud they talk. Just give them a knife and fork, it’s like giving chopsticks to a dolphin.

[@catchat8753]

As a french , yeah we know how lucky we are , thanks to our taxes , and yeah we actually fighted for this and we still do ( no we don't do strike because we are lazy or are bored but to have more rigths and better equity)

[@spartz007]

As a French guy I can tell you every child over 10 knows what nutrients and vitamins are in each things we can eat and how to compose a meal good for health. Thank school for that. Little trick : dividing your meal into different little dishes helps cover satiety☺

[@SteveAaron]

On a non-mandatory basis, they can start school (pre) at 2.5 yo. It is often the case. However, school is mandatory when kids reach 3 yo.

[@etienne8110]

This is quite recent. School became mandatory at 3 only since 2019. Before it was at 5y.o

[@fjtex89]

Hi Ryan I’m a French Senior High School Vice-Principal located in a very little remote town in the countryside and I can assure you that you can find complete meals like the ones you saw in the video everywhere in the country. In my school, as we are in a very rural district, we made a simple choice : buying most of our products at local farmers, this is a bit more expensive than big industries but that’s a choice, as long as we are not losing money. We serve around 1.200 meals every day (from breakfast to dinner) and everyone is very happy, the students and the staff, prices are between 2,3 and 5,5€ depending on the parents income for the children or on the staff income. Phones, pads or other networks are forbidden in the cafeteria to let children talk and enjoy the moment with their friends. Lunchtime is, by law, 1h30 in elementary schools and junior high schools, there is no law for senior highs, generally it’s an hour (sometimes less for children who chose optional courses) I hope I gave you some more clues about our French way of live and hope to see you maybe in my school if you’re passing by ! Have a nice day, take care Florian

[@elinmoftedal]

In Norway children bring some sandwiches to school - with a fruit - that’s all - they get milk at school

[@Xiroi87]

A heavier lunch and a lighter dinner is more of a Southern European thing, the opposite applies on the North.

[@elinmoftedal]

@@Xiroi87 are you Norwegian?

[@AussieFossil]

It is the same in Australia. Children have to bring their own lunch or buy something or they don't eat :(

[@Xiroi87]

@@elinmoftedal nej, utlandssvensk, typ

[@elocinp9347]

@@AussieFossil Oh 🥺

[@drumstyle45]

Personally I am French and In the canteen there is a lot of choice it is rather good Couscous, chicken fries, beef bourguignon, spaghetti bolognese, on Friday it was fish, usually it was cod But sometimes there was fried fish. And of course lots of other choices with yogurt desserts, fruit, crème brûlée and others Not forgetting the cheese

[@AlbandAquino]

The only thing missing is a glass of wine 😂 (French National here, just in case...)

[@stannumowl]

Not for 3 year olds! XD

[@AlbandAquino]

@@stannumowl 😂

[@marcapouli7805]

Let me guess, from Bordeaux 😁?

[@alexysq2660]

Ah, bah oui: c,a se commence pas jusqu´au lyce[ ´ ]e, hein 😏😉🩵...?!

[@steeveletur1983]

Wine during lunch was banned in french highschools in 1981. We're not as wine-cultured as we used to be

[@emm75]

In France we live for food and take it very seriously, we are taught about good food from a very young age! That said, food in our 'cantines' (school/work restaurant) is often not that good

[@missgranger5362]

I think you need to come to France and Europe Ryan !

[@xenotypos]

Those weren't escargots lol, but some kind of shellfish (bulot). I love that kind of sea food.

[@Belaziraf]

In France, school starts now at 3 yo. Preschool in fact. It wasn't mandatory until a few years ago. This allow parents to keep working and save money for the baby sitter or day care. School lunches all through university is charge 0 to 10-12€ (for occasional lunch, I should specify), depending on the city and the family's revenue. Or one's own revenue if they choose to separate from the parent's tax return. They also serve as food education. And they always take account of allergies and religious eating habits. That said, teaching better and healthy eating habits doesn't mean they will all grow up as gourmets. You can educate, but not brainwash.

[@MonsieurPull]

Belgian here, quite similar in Belgium. Junk food is banned from our School. They even control the food that the children bring from home.

[@josvercaemer264]

when accountants and politicians and the F.D.A. dont decide what good food is

[@warrenturner397]

Do they even know what "food" is?

[@mats7492]

THe FDA doesnt actually decide anything.. the lobbyists that fund it do!

[@etienne8110]

Actually this is owed a lot to politicians. Funding cantines and enforcing rules on the bare minimum those school meals have to meet.

[@etienne8110]

@@josvercaemer264 it is more about voters having to change politicians if they aren t happy with the results... You can t vote for corrupt ones and then complain evrything goes bad...

[@voldemortdelphi4699]

You have to take into account that in France, at home (in a typical french family), on NORMAL DAYS you typically have a 4 COURSE MEAL for lunch (and dinner). That includes a starter (often times a vegetable salad), a main course, dairy products like cheese or yogurt, and a fruit.🥗🍛🧀🍎 During the WEEKEND or when you have time to spare, because French cuisine also includes pastries, it's not unusual to add a 5th COURSE to this meal, usually a cake that you bake yourself (from scratch, no premade mix like in the US). 🍪🍮🍰 Also, there's a rule in France that states that you have to eat at least 5 fruits or vegetables per day. With this one also comes the one that warns you not to eat food with too much fat, too much salt or too much sugar 🍓🍉🍇🍒🥝 So yes, I think it's safe to say that we french take meals seriously. We understand that it's fuel for our body, and the better quality the fuel, the smoother the machine runs. Like many of the older generations, my grandfather used to say that that there was nothing more serious and important than to eat (well). 🚙 Apart from that, meals are the times when the household reunites so each person can share with the others what they did during the day, talk about what they have prepared for the next, share some news with the others, all of that while sharing food. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 I could go on and on, sharing other fun facts about food culture in France, but there's no end to the list, so I'll stop here for the moment. If you have questions, feel free to ask below, and I'll respond to the best of my ability.😀 Oh, and I almost forgot, wine is nowadays not on the table at every meal anymore, but it will still be brought out the moment guests come over! 🍷

[@nedludd7622]

Le chef used a much more vulgar expression than the translation gave. He said they don't "se foutre de leurs gueules". Look it up. Also, Parisian woman mentioned "sharing", a concept mysterious to Americans.

[@alexysq2660]

*@nedludd7622* Oui c´est tout vrai, ce qu tu traduise de ce qu´il disait la` ce chef de cuisine 😏 ; ainsi que c,a la`-dessus < partager > de cette meuf a` l`e[ ´ ]cole en fait 😊🩷....

[@nedludd7622]

​@@alexysq2660En plus, c’est un double sens astucieux.

[@alexysq2660]

@@nedludd7622 Ah oui, en vrai c`est assez crevant c,a....

[@he-edd-l3784]

My children had high quality food in their "lycee" (high school). I have been invited sometimes to eat with the pupils, wow, it was a complete meal with vegetables and fantastic sauces, with a high quality standard.

[@dominiqueloury6854]

French here. about eating fast, when I was a kid, I always eat fast, like 20/30 minutes for the whole meal. And my parent always said "not so fast, you have the time. Don't choke yourself." Also in family gathering, the meal began at 11H30 and finished at 15H or even 17H sometime (3 or 5 PM) Not all school have a chef but the quality is generaly good. On a side note, there was a TV show whith a famous chef (Ciryl Lignac) going to school cafeterias to teach them simple but healthy cuisine.

[@mariecaillaud8693]

It's so important for kids to eat a good food to make the brain and the body 's growth better. Eating by taking time improve your body too.😅

[@jean-jacques_vomact]

The only thing to say : Il's a reality in every european country not only France ... The only problem is in USA ...

[@ImVez_]

Well, no. I went in other countries of Europe in which they only eat sandwiches at lunch. In France, it’s always two hot meals per day.

[@iantobaudonnel1138]

Knowing how to eat comes with effort wich is why a huge amount of culture and appreciation is needed. If you are just shoveling food then why bother having it good. The same way the effort put into good food is only worth it if appreciated and valued, that's where culture does ils its work

[@alphaomega3499]

We have a facility called Maison Relais: if parents are working during the day, then their kid goes to a kind of large house that is on the school grounds, to be looked after until the parents finish work and are able to fetch the kid. In this facility, there are typically fussball tables, arts and crafts tables, Lego, board games and a playground with small soccer goals, tricycles etc. Typically, there'll be about 4 to 5 staff. Kids not only play there under supervision , but can also do homework. They get fed catered food after the school day, and a few times a week, weather permitting, staff will take them for walks or treasure hunts. The maison does cost, but then again, government gives every single child 300 Euros monthly, and that can be used to pay for the maison service. I'm not in France , but next to it, so the workings of the service will probably differ slightly in France. That said, all kids have the usual cafeteria too, for during the school day. The food isnt great, but neither is it junk food.

[@ebbhead20]

In Denmark there's either a byggelegeplads or a SFO or a fritidsklub. They're all run in a different way. The byggelegeplads was cool as a kid, you had pirate ships and drawbridges and some nets to climb and tubes to go through. Then there was rabbits and goats to feed or tun away from in the xase of one psycho goat called Gimmer who tried to kill everybody on a daily basis.. ah the safe 70s 😅

[@alphaomega3499]

​@@ebbhead20cool! 👍

[@JohnResalb]

Hi Ryan. This question of gobbling your food - je connais les français - it's not because they want to pick issue with you - it's that each mouthful has different flavours that must be savoured AND (I was taught) which have to be discussed with your fellow diner. Perhaps not quite the discussion you'd expect in McBurger or whatever.!!

[@thesushifiend]

I eat fish for nearly every meal except breakfast, and sometimes even then!

[@twofarg0ne763]

I live in France. We believe in giving our kids whole, natural, and healthy food. Nothing from a can, bottle or box.

[@christinajahnke2827]

I'm from germany and at my 7. and 8. degrees we also learned to cook 😋😋❤️👍

[@cyberfux]

Yeah, i remember Hauswirtschaftslehre... Taught me more for real life than any other class - plus, i was the only boy in that class (all others chose Technik) so: Food+Girls=What's not to like?

[@JAY-ns1dg]

I'm French, 48 years Old and can just agree to this Documentary. From 4 to 20 only good food !!! And my 3 sons still love it ! You can even eat 3 times a year with the Kids to taste the food !

[@LeSarthois]

In France, school (well, education, technically homeschooling exists but is extremely rare) is mandatory at the age of 6, but most parents put their kids between 3 and 6 at a "pre-school" that will teach kids about the basics of education. About the "chef" thing, in France, chef literally mean "boss". Any "chef de cuisine" (master cook" is a chef. It doesn't mean they have massive high talent and skill for cooking... but most of them do and like to cook. What I mean is that when you hear that schools have a "chef" mean that they have someone making the meal in the kitchen as opposed to getting ready-to-eat meals that just get shoved in an oven (as we also have those type of food in French schools). It doesn't mean that the school went above and beyond to hire a skilled 3 star cook.

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

Non, ça c'était avant : Macron a rendu l'école obligatoire à 3 ans. No you're wrong. Now school is compulsory from age 3 in France.

[@victoriagossani8523]

@@LizzieJaneBennet Absolutely. And a lot of schools are able to take the children at 2,5 yo those last years (it's the case in my little town).

[@camadams6019]

That was already the case in mid-90’s but not all of them did it. I’m born in November and I start school at 2,5 years old. My GF start at 2 years because she fell bored at home. I don’t not if in “little section” is still mandatory to go to the afternoon because it’s mandatory nap time.

[@camadams6019]

Even pre-made food at school lunch wasn’t that bad really. I eat all my school life in school cantine (pre-made food [Sodexo and Co] with some cooking like pasta fresh) and it’s not bad. Not every thing was on my taste but that was okay…

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

@@victoriagossani8523 The only condition is : no baby diapers, the children must be "clean".

[@requinorex3250]

I am a french who work in a school cuisine, we are not as high tech as the first one (we don't clean every packaging but we clean all vegetable and fruit). And yeah I can tell you we don't gain a lot of money, the chef does gain more because you know he is the chef, but even him don't gain a lot of money compare to restaurant chef.