Have you ever wondered how your child’s school lunches compare to different school lunches in other countries? What we put in our bodies has a great effect on development and energy levels.
School Lunches Around the World
Scroll down to see an infographic that shows what students all over the world are having for lunch and how each country scores on the PISA test, or Program for International Student Assessment test.
United Kingdom and United States
As far as health goes, UK and USA school lunches are the worst.
A typical student lunch in the USA consists of mashed potato, chicken nuggets, pears, fruit in syrup, and a cookie.
The USA’s PISA test results range from 24th-36th positions. This lunch consists of few vegetables, fried foods, and sugars and carbs.
A typical student lunch in the UK consists of baked potato, corn on the cob, Frankfurt’s in high in sugar beans, a slice of melon, and apple juice.
The United Kingdom gets a health score of 4/10 compared to the USA’s 3/10. PISA test results range from 23rd-26th positions in math, science, and reading.
China
China’s school lunches are filling and packed full of fish oils and plenty of vegetables and have a health score of 9/10.
A typical student lunch includes sticky rice, vegetable broth, prawns, fish, and greens.
This nutritious lunch could be a contributing factor to China’s stunning PISA test results of 1st position in all three categories of mathematics, science, and reading.
South Korea
School lunch in South Korea is full of items that improve brain function in children and provide fiber and good carbs.
The typical lunch menu consists of brown rice, fish soup, greens, kimchi, and chicken.
This gives South Korea a health score of 9/10. It’s PISA test results range from the 5th-7th position in all three categories.
France
Bon Appétit! A French school lunch provides plenty of protein from lean steak and iron for growing bodies, calcium, and natural sweetness.
A typical French school lunch will include steak, brie, green beans, carrots, and fruit.
With these healthy eats, France gets a health score of 8/10. France scores PISA test results of 25th in math, 6th in science, and 21st in reading.
Finland
Finnish students are certainly enjoying a nutritious lunch with a menu filled with antioxidants.
Students get to delight in pea soup, sweet potato, beetroot, a bread roll, and a crepe with fresh berries.
These delicious Finnish menus get a health score of 8/10. PISA test results for Finnish students range from 5th-12th in all three categories.
Spain
Oh, Spain, you never disappoint!
Spain lunches have a great combination of items for healthy minds at school. With a menu full of rice, prawns, gazpacho, a bread roll, mixed pepper salad, and half an orange, Spain gets a whopping health score of 9/10. Delicioso!
Students in Spain scored the country PISA results ranging from the 29th-33rd position in all three categories.
Italy
I don’t know about you, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Italy is its delicious cuisine!
Italian students get to enjoy a typical lunch consisting of meat, salads, pasta and grapes.
Italy’s school lunches get a well-deserved health score of 9/10. Students in Italy scored PISA results ranging from the 22nd-32nd position in all three categories.
Greece
The last country on our list definitely pleases with its delicious lunch menu.
With items like salad, rice, chicken, stuffed vine lettuce, yogurt and fruit, this country’s lunch gets a health score of 9/10. Italian students PISA test results range from 39th-42nd position!
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Which Of These Healthy Diets Are the Highest Performers?
Asian diets are all about brain food! The diet consists of fish, which are good for both mental and physical health as well as well-being, vegetables, rice, tofu, and greens!
Scandinavian diets give students enough energy to keep them going throughout the rest of the day without the sluggish feelings! This nutritious diet is full of vegetables, lean meats, fish, fresh fruit, and a little oil, which puts the Scandinavian diet in second place!
In third place, we have the Mediterranean diet! Their diets consist of healthy carbohydrates in the form of rice, pasta and vegetables and light meats and fish provide protein and vitamins to keep bodies and minds healthy!
This is a guest post submitted by Farah Zamora, a journalism student at Florida Gulf Coast University.
