Cafeteria Crisis — Here’s What Cafeteria Lunches Look Like Around The World Vs. The US [Infographic]

This is stunning. Visual News put together a compilation of cafeteria lunches from around the world. Let’s just say it’s not pretty, unless you’re in school outside of the US.

At a very fundamental level, it’s a powerful snapshot of each food’s culture and diet. Greece packs their lunches with protein-rich Greek yogurt and grape leaves; South Korea features kimchi, veggies, and rice; and France packs heat with lean meat, brie, and fruit. And it actually all looks delicious, even for something you’d eat in middle school.

And then you arrive at the US. We’re epitomized by chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. Sadface.

Scroll down and you’ll clearly see how horrible the food that an average American kid eats on a regular basis. It’s overly-processed, devoid of fresh fruit and veggies, and pumped with carbs. And frankly, this representation of a US cafeteria lunch is pretty generous compared to some of the monstrosities that I’ve seen.

“Each day in the United States, over 32 million students eat lunches from their school cafeterias. The food consumed accounts for more than half of each students daily calorie intake – which therefore makes the school cafeteria that much more important in delivering healthy food and preventing child obesity.”

That’s a huge deal. School meals are critical and ultimately serve as a platform to launch long-term eating habits.

As a country, clearly we need to do better — just look at childhood and adolescent obesity rates. In 2012 more than 1/3 of all children and teenagers were overweight or obese, with adolescent obesity rates quadrupling over the past 30 years.¹.

Oye.

1. Spain

Spanish Lunch: Shrimp & Brown Rice, Gazpacho, Whole Grain Bread, Peppers, Orange

2. France

French Lunch: Steak, Carrots, Green Beans, Brie, Kiwi + Apples

3. Italy

Italian Lunch: Fish & Arugula, Pasta, Caprese Salad, Bread, Grapes

4. Brazil

Brazilian Lunch: Pork & Vegetables, Rice & Black Beans, Baked Plantains, Salad, Bread

5. South Korea

South Korean Lunch: Tofu & Rice, Fish Soup, Kimchi, Broccoli, Peppers

6. Greece

Greek Lunch: Baked Chicken & Orzo, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Cucumber/Tomato Salad, Greek Yogurt & Pomegranate Seeds, Oranges.

7. Finland

Finnish Lunch: Beet Salad, Pea Soup, Carrots, Bread, Berries, Dessert Pancake (pannakkau).

8. Ukraine

Ukrainian Lunch: Sausage & Mashed Potatoes, Borscht, Cabbage, Dessert Pancake (syrniki).

9. USA

American Lunch: Fried Chicken & Ketchup, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Fruit Cup, Chocolate Chip Cookie.

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Bryan DiSanto

Owner & Editor-in-Chief at Lean It UP

Bryan DiSanto is the Owner & Editor-in-Chief of Lean It UP, ACE-CPT & CSN, NYU graduate, ex-fat kid, and all-around fitness/nutrition nutjob.

When he’s not working on his (or somebody else’s) abs, whipping up Eggocados, or running a Tough Mudder, he’s probably off yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.

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References, Notes, Links

1. CDC — Childhood Obesity [↩]