Japan’s School Lunches Contain Actual Fresh Vegetables

Published on Monday, March 8, 2010, by Joyce Slaton / Edit Post

Inspired by Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project, a blog about the disgusting school lunches a teacher ingests daily, a teacher in Japan is blogging about the school lunches he encounters across the Pacific. And the contrast between Fed Up With Lunch and Mr Ferguson's Classroom could make you cry. The American teacher eats bagel dogs, pizza, pretzels, and sweetened "fruit juice icees." Mr. Ferguson? Baked fish, tofu, recognizable vegetables, fruit, soup, and rice.

Mr. Ferguson writes:

"One of the most stressful times for me as a teacher in America was lunch time, of all times when I needed peace the most. I hated it because everyday my children got packets of sauce or dressing to slather on their food, which I had to open because their 5 year old hands were too small. I hated cleaning it off of them when they tried to open it by themselves, thinking that nothing about their lunch was made with children in mind. I hated being rushed, often not even finishing my own lunch. And I hated watching trays, plastic cutlery, napkins, milk cartons, and unwanted food thrown away, sometimes twice a day.

He noticed the differences in the lunches immediately after moving to Japan, such as "table cloths, real plates, cups and utensils, children serving each other in their own classrooms, the secular blessing 'Itadakimasu' said always before a meal, eating broccoli and finishing it, and rice, fresh fruit, and tea every day. The only frozen food I’ve eaten at lunch here is a frozen orange served as a dessert."

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  • While it may not be anywhere near as bad as in America, plenty of waste happens out here in Japan too. I witness children throwing away large batches of said rice, veggies, and milk every day. There's plenty of emphasis on finishing your food, but if the HR teacher is lax/doesn't care, some of these kids will toss away 90% of their rice.

    That said, simply from eating school lunch every day, I...+READ

    While it may not be anywhere near as bad as in America, plenty of waste happens out here in Japan too. I witness children throwing away large batches of said rice, veggies, and milk every day. There's plenty of emphasis on finishing your food, but if the HR teacher is lax/doesn't care, some of these kids will toss away 90% of their rice.

    That said, simply from eating school lunch every day, I feel far healthier than I did back in the States. Wish I got tea for lunch too, though, instead of the whole milk they serve at my schools.-COLLAPSE

  • Ozziechick, I'm addicted to this lady and her blog: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ We have featured some of her recipes on CHOW! Great stuff. Mini beef Wellingtons, YES! I like them with mushrooms. http://www.chow.com/stories/11303

  • Kids in school should be eating fresh veggies. I'm very glad that these children can eat well. Healthy food is probably helping better grades. Think about it. Kids or adults eating healthy can only produce better health and better health habits. Always start with a good breakfast. This is the 1st and most important meal of the day.

  • I love Japanese food and have started to pack my kids bento boxes like these. There's a site my friend has started called www.sumokitchen.com which features simple Japanese food that is perfect for these bento boxes.