It’s not a secret that French people are food lovers and that they like spending time having lunch. French kids in elementary schools finish the morning session at 11:30am and start the afternoon session around 1:30pm. That makes 2 hours when they can relax and have lunch. They can go back home or go to the school cafeteria, “les cantines”, for having lunch.

How does a school lunch is prepared in France?

The French government gives some recommendations about school lunches, but each city takes in charge the whole logistics, in concertation with the schools’ staff, the kitchen teams, and the nutritionists. And when some cities make sure to offer meals prepared from scratch by chefs in kitchens, other cities prefer employing a contractor or use ready-to-eat food they reheat.

If you must be familiar with the renowned Michael Moore’s documentary showing the very best of school lunch in France (4-course menu made from scratch, homemade-style), it’s actually good to specify that today up to 90% of the school lunches are prepared in central kitchens and that lots of French kids actually dislike the “cantine” food. (Cf. “SOS Cantines” French TV show featuring four renowned chefs going to the kids’ rescues in French schools).

So, what’s on the menu? To help you get the very best from these French school cafeterias menus, Teuko demystified the French school lunch menus for you. Check them out and make a lunchbox idea of your own!  These well-balanced menus, validated by nutritionists, combined with fresh, simple and real food, make perfect lunchbox ideas with a French gourmet style – including appetizer, entrée, cheese and dessert!

Join our School Lunch Challenge*!
This week we bring you to Paris, France, with a menu that will be served in schools on April the 10th, 2018. Check out this menu and turn it into a lunchbox of your own. Tag what you pack with #Teuko, or track directly on www.teuko.com to better retrieve what you’ve done later!

Cheat Sheet  – “Salade de pommes de terre aux tomates”: boiled potatoes with diced tomatoes mostly. Add a little bit of mayonnaise if you want. “Sauté de porc”: pork chop will do. If you don’t want to cook, swap with ham! “Carottes persillées”: sliced carrots, steamed or boiled, with parsley. “Babybel”: well, this one is easy… Babybel. “Compote de pomme banane”: banana-applesauce (we love the GogoSqueeze for our lunch boxes ) “Pain”: bread (if you like it, that pairs well with the Babybel ).

* Teuko School Lunch Challenge: click here for more info.