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No, I don't pack a lunch. My children get a hot lunch and snacks at school very similar to the one above (we live in the French part of Switzerland). Actually, at our school, there is no possibility to "opt out", although there are vegetarian options (and special dishes for children with allergies, etc.). It is great -- everyone, including the teachers, sits down together at lunch -- with real plates, glasses, cutlery and cloth napkins.

I don't know why we can't do the same for kids in North America.

My daughter goes to a public nursery school here in Italy. Her school lunch menu could also be the menu at a respectable trattoria. I've been told they only use organic produce and, much like what mschatelaine describes, all the students eat a hot meal with plates, cutlery, cloth napkins and tablecloths.

I went to an American school in Japan, but we had hot and healthy lunches served to us at school. Some kids brought lunches, but the majority of us bought our lunch at school. The teachers ate with us, too.

Hum...

I've spent 10 years of my school life eating regularly in a French "cantine" (restaurant). Let's be clear: now I know I can eat anything when I'm hungry. I'm the least difficult person to have over for dinner.

It sounds nice on paper, but it still is the same old restaurant menu: full of unnecessary fats, no veggie steamed. Making the steak organic doesn't do the trick if it's served with bad fries and yuck dressing, and cooked in bad oil. Really. And even if it sounds nice to sit down to eat, you have to wait for 45 minutes in line to get a seat, and usually have 15 minutes to eat. No good. And you wouldn't believe how noisy it is.

I finally ate alone, to get a break during hard work days (usually 8 to 10 hours of class a day when I was 18). Homemade sandwich with cereal bred, salad with a homemade dressing I added at the last minute, yoghourt, and an apple at 5PM. The hot part was my thermos of tea. I felt energized, rested, and I didn't sleep through the 2-4PM period because of digestive problems, like my classmates.

My 4 year old goes to a school in Paris and so we are well acquainted with these menus. They come at a price however. I think this year we are paying 4.95 euro, or about $7.20, a meal. I can promise you that she is not eating $7 worth of food, but I do appreciate that she is being exposed to so many healthy options and learning the habit of eating proper meals with good manners. It is adorable to sneak in at lunch time to see all the 3 and 4 year olds at their tiny tables, with napkins tucked into their collars, passing the bread basket and holding their mini forks and knives!

My 2-year old daughter goes to a French Montessori school in the US. While we don't have a menu like this, I pack her lunch every night and it is not too far off what is on this menu! I work full time as well, so it's not that it takes a lot of time... I do it in the evening after she has gone to bed. It takes just under an hour to plan the lunch and two snacks she needs for the day.

If I had my act together, I would plan out for the month like this and try to prepare some things ahead of time!

Sadly in the smaller community where my kids go to school (B.C. Canada) the only option is to take a packed lunch - there is no hot lunch / cafeteria. It is the same in the other 10 or so elementary schools & the 4 middle schools in this district ( & most other areas of the province)- I don't know if the 2 senior high schools offer anything or not. My kids are offered an option one day a month to have a (student paid & quite expensive) "hot lunch" which is catered -sometimes it's something rather bad on the nutrion front ( hot dogs - fast food burgers eg: Burger King) or something a bit better such as a pita pocket or subway sub .(which I know isn't really a "hot " lunch)
I wish there was an affordable alternative provided -I work full-time & don't have an extra hour to plan & put together fabulous lunches. I wish I could move to France- I hear they also have 5 weeks vacation there too :)

aha! i am totally stealing these menu ideas for myself. planning is half the battle.