The things that happen in schools around the world vary from one country to the next. One aspect of this is school meals. I recently came across an opportunity to compare the school meals in the UK with amazing school meals in Japan.
When I was at school (some time ago now), the school dinners were dreadful. We were served tasteless slop and there are many foods that I still will not eat based on my experiences at school; custard is one of them.
School Dinners in the UK Today
School dinners in the UK are now much better. My children attend a school that promotes healthy eating, and they have an amazing rotating menu with several options daily. The meals are nutritionally balanced and my children say they are tasty.
School Meals in Japan
I just came across this amazing video on a social media site that shows how Japanese school dinners are served and wanted to share it straight away. I truly believe that schools from across the globe should follow the lead of the Japanese based on this video content.
First, the children plan their school meals and then study the nutritional value of the meals and the cultural significance of the dishes. Next, they take turns to serve the meals to their peers.
Many of the meals are made from produce that grows on the school farm. Therefore, the meals are made from fresh seasonal produce, are healthy and delicious.
The video shows some of the meals they eat. It also mentions that the Japanese have one of the lowest childhood obesity rates in the world. Their school meals are possibly one of the reasons for this.
At the end of mealtime, the children thank their servers and clean the dining hall. They consider their dinnertime to be part of their education rather than a break from their education. This shows how the Japanese education system differs from that of the UK.
The staff in Japanese schools teach children to have respect, manners, and pride in their school. This was interesting for me as I worked for many years in a secondary school. I volunteered to do dinner duties. This involved supervising the dining hall.
From my own experiences in the UK, the school children did not show the same level of pride in their school. They were generally unwilling to tidy away after themselves.
Watch the Video About School Meals in Japan
Take a look at the video about the school meals in Japan below. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
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