CANTEEN? NO THANKS!
School dinners suck! Why do so many school pupils avoid the canteen?
Regardless of which federal state and school, if you ask school pupils if they enjoy school dinners, you're guaranteed to get a mixed response. Few will answer positively, some will opt for diplomacy, and the resounding majority will have no hesitation in voicing their opposition to the food served in school canteen. But why do school dinners get such a bad reputation? Is the food really as dry, tasteless and unappetising as many pupils claim? Would they like to see different food on the menu? We went on the hunt for answers.
In accordance with a resolution by the Federal Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), full-day schools must provide pupils with lunch. This currently applies to some 3.5 million school pupils nationwide. However, the actual number of pupils who eat lunch in the canteen every day is very different.
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"The food is often lukewarm and looks disgusting – as if it's already been eaten."
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Only around 43% of pupils eat lunch at school at least once a week; approx. 25% take up the offer at least three times a week. With 56.4%, primary school pupils eat lunch at school significantly more regularly than older pupils at secondary schools (32%). In comparison, some 44% of children and 68% of young people never go to the school canteen. Pupils at grammar schools and technical colleges are more likely to use the service (37.9%) than those at secondary modern and comprehensive schools (26.9%). With these figures, it's certainly clear that there is plenty of room for improvement!
No rules!
A closer look at the issue quickly reveals that there are no uniform rules or standards regarding catering for school pupils. Ideas of what lunch should consist of vary from state to state, from municipality to municipality and from school to school.
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"I like our canteen. We get to choose what and how much we want. The food is tasty – even the vegetables. But the fish fingers are my favourite."
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There is also no nationwide uniform regulation regarding whether lunch must be a hot meal or whether a cold dish is sufficient. Responsibilities also vary from state to state and school catering is organised by different ministries in each, such as those for food, education and construction, which is in charge of canteen development, for example.
Bon appetit?
According to the nutrition study EsKiMo II (2017), the most common reasons why children and young people do not use school catering are:
- Eating lunch or dinner at home
- Too expensive
- Taste / other meals preferred
Of course, we mustn't forget that different people also have different tastes. Schools are a melting pot of many different cultures with different cuisines. Finding something to suit everyone's taste is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Equally, the argument of prices being too high cannot be blamed on catering companies themselves. After all, every municipality is free to put out its own tender to decide who cooks the food and what it should cost.
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"The food in our canteen is usually a disgrace – stale, tasteless and unappealing. I'd rather go to the kebab shop round the corner with my friends.”
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Make a wish!
The response of "I'd prefer other dishes" was immediately followed up with the question as to which foods they would like to see on the menu. The favourites mentioned are hardly surprising: pizza, chips, kebabs and schnitzel came out on top. However, what belongs on the plate is actually quite logical. Commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) has developed detailed standards for good school meals. Vegetables and cereal products are recommended daily, including raw vegetables twice a week and a wholegrain product at least once a week. Fish, meat and sausage should only be on the menu once a week.
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"Our canteen is great – practically everything is tasty. We have a good selection and there's always pasta and salad. I like that a lot."
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Clarification helps!
As is so often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. It would certainly be wrong to make a blanket judgement about all canteens in Germany. But perhaps a little more consideration should be given to the wishes of the children themselves – possibly with a dish by popular demand once a week. Chips and celeriac schnitzel, for instance, is a compromise that is certain to please many.
However, schools also share the responsibility of raising awareness among children from an early age. After all, it is crucial to teach children what healthy food is and that it can be delicious, too.
General information "National Quality Center for Nutrition in Kindergarten and School" (german)
Nationwide survey in cooperation with various institutions (german)
A study by the "Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture" (german)
