Who Makes the Best School Lunch in the World?

Tough to beat, but...

Although It’s hard to be definitive about which country offers “best school lunch in the world,” it’s interesting to note that Japan & Finland are frequently recognized for having top-notch lunch programs.

Here’s why:

Japan: Nutritionally Sound & Culturally Relevant

Japanese school lunch programs are renowned for their emphasis on balanced food offerings and the goal of feeding both the body and mind.

In many schools, lunch is made fresh daily by cooks working at the school. Lunches are served with a variety of fresh vegetables, often along with a soup. Japan sets a seriously high standard for healthy school lunches.

It’s not just the food that makes the lunch period in Japan so good. Japan likes to take lunchtime to teach students about proper etiquette while eating, and how to have good manners. This makes lunch in Japan culturally important, an experience that is not just about the quality of food served, but also about the environment in which students eat. Japan also takes great pride in recognizing how school lunch can profoundly affect a student's ability to learn. 

Finland: Free, Nutritious Meals for All

In Finland, the school lunch program is a cornerstone of the country's education and public health systems.

Since 1948, Finland has provided free school meals to all students from preschool through secondary education, making it one of the first countries in the world to do so. The program is designed to meet one-third of students' daily nutritional requirements, ensuring that every child receives a well-balanced meal each school day.

The typical menu follows national nutrition guidelines, usually featuring a hot main dish, a side of vegetables, bread, a beverage like milk or water, and often a dessert. The meals are designed to satisfy about one-third of a student's daily nutritional needs and are served buffet-style in a cafeteria. A hallmark of the Finnish lunch is the "plate model," which recommends filling half the plate with vegetables, one-quarter with a grain or starchy food, and the last quarter with a protein like fish, meat, or beans. The Finnish school lunch is more than just food; it’s an educational & health-focused experience.

It just goes to show you, school lunch can be more than a meal & more than just waiting for recess.

With a special thanks to our Learning Buddies.

Over the years, Bennett International Education Consultancy has worked with hundreds of corporations across the globe, many of them Fortune 500 companies, providing domestic and international school advisement & placement services - preschool through university - to the dependents of relocating employees. In addition to education placement, our team provides customized consulting for corporations with a range of education issues: education policy writing & benchmarking, tuition studies, group move advisement & planning, and remote education solutions.