Here at The Lunch MOB, we like to discuss and help educate you on why healthy school lunch programs are so important for your kids. Recently there were some photos taken of school lunch programs from around the world that were a striking contrast from what American children are eating every day at school in the U.S.

Even with the recent shift from government to get a better handle on school lunches being served to millions of children in the U.S., there are still roughly 32 million children eating unhealthy cafeteria style lunches every day. That number does not account for large number of kids attending private schools or the children who bring lunches from home. Our nation is becoming more and more aware of the childhood obesity rate in our country that has truly become an epidemic.

The Lunch MOB is a company that is looking at a fresh and unique way to not only battle this very problem in the schools with their unhealthy school lunch programs, but also to provide parents with an easier and healthier solution to the boring, brown bagged lunch alternatives. One of the biggest challenges The Lunch MOB has solved is finding fresh ingredients and nutritious foods that kids will actually eat. We have all seen the news in the last year of kids around the nation taking to Twitter and other social media channels to refuse and boycott the first lady’s push for healthy meals. As the saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” The Lunch MOB has created more than 60 different meal choices for kids and parents to choose from, allowing even the pickiest of eaters to find something they will like.

It appears that The Lunch MOB has taken notice of school lunch programs from around the world and put their own spin on some delicious kid favorites, while providing the nutrients they need. Take a look at the following countries school lunch programs meals being served to kids:

Italy

Local caught fish served on top of a bed of arugula. freshly made pasta with a lite tomato sauce, crisp red seedless grapes, a child’s version of caprese salad, and a freshly baked baguette. Lot’s of great choices here for kids, and of course since this is Italy, you would expect to have at least one pasta dish.

Finland

Freshly cooked pea soup, whole wheat roll, carrot salad, beet salad, and pannakkau (a thin dessert pancake) topped with some fresh berries. You will notice in this meal there are no meats being served, depending on how the pea soup is cooked of course.

France

Apple slices, Locally made cheese, fresh green beans with seasoning, kiwi slices, and seasoned cooked carrots. You will notice with this meal that is straight forward ingredients with some seasoning. Of course you can have a meal in france without some cheese.

Brazil

Black beans and rice, pork with some local veggies, whole grain roll, fresh green salad, and some baked plantains (similar to bananas). This meal is rich in local and nationally grown ingredients. This meal represents its home country very well, bright and full of life.

South Korea

Seasoned and cooked tofu over white rice, kimichi (traditionally a fermented side dish made of vegetables and a variety of seasoning), broccoli, red-yellow-green cooked peppers, and a fish soup. Notice that most of this meal is made up vegetables and grain.

Greece

Baked boneless skinless chicken breast laid atop cooked orzo (pasta that resembles rice), fresh small oranges, greek yogurt with some pomegranate seeds, cherry tomato and cucumber salad, and steamed stuffed grape leaves. This entire meal speaks to greece, especially the use of citrus and “greek” yogurt.

Ukraine

Cabbage salad, syrniki (a local dessert pancake), mashed potatoes with locally made sausage links, and borscht (a ukrainian soup that is usually made of beets). No doubt that this is a very simple meal, but made with locally grown and made foods.

Spain

Sauteed peeled shrimp on top of a bed of brown rice and vegetables, whole grain roll, fresh orange, fresh pepper salad, and gazpacho (this is a juice, often misidentified as a soup, made from fresh raw vegetables and served cold). Another meal made from raw and fresh ingredients.

USA

Fried processed “popcorn” chicken with processed and sugary sauce, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookie, canned green peas, and canned fruit cup in syrup.

The Lunch MOB

The Lunch MOB carries more than 60 different meal choices, providing parents and kids a choice when it comes to picky eaters, while providing nutrients they need. For example, meals like, “Crunchy Oven Baked Fish Sticks,” provide a healthy alternative to regular fish sticks, this is made with firm and flaky cod fish in a seasoned mixture of low fat parmesan and whole grain breadcrumbs. Take a look at all of the options they have to offer.

It’s a bit shocking to to see so many other nations providing their school children nutritious and fresh school lunch programs, while American school kids are still being served processed and sugary foods. The Lunch MOB is hoping to change this for American families across the nation, however they believe it takes one community at a time to educate and teach parents on the quality and value that The Lunch MOB’s school lunch program provides. To learn more about The Lunch MOB, click here:

Photo’s provided by Distractify and Sweetgreen