Incredibly short-sighted policy when you think how important good nutrition is for health and how much of a ticking time bomb obesity is for the NHS. Here's an article (which I think might be from a few years ago) about French school meals.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/karen-le-billion-french-children-eat-anything
This is part of it.
Karen Le Billon moved with her young family from Vancouver to France in 2008, what came next was a transformation in how her children ate and behaved around meal times. We find out about the trials and tribulations of their journey...
What were your children’s original attitudes to food?
My kids had the standard ‘bland, beige food’ diet: a lot of processed carbs (white bread, crackers) and dairy. My older daughter was quite reactive; I talk in the book about her ‘strange food dance’: she would wriggle, jump up and down, and display all sorts of antics when confronted with a food she didn’t like (which included sandwiches and ice cream!).
What was the biggest culture shock for your family when you first moved to France from North America?
How long children sat at the table, how well behaved the children were at the table, how easily and cheerfully they tried new foods, and how long they could wait between meals—without complaint. Basically, they ate like French adults – even the preschoolers.
How did your children’s school lunches differ after the move?
French school lunches are simply amazing. The French have decided that teaching healthy eating routines to children is a priority, and they teach children about healthy food in the classroom and the lunchroom.
Starting when children enter school at age three, school lunch consists of four courses: a vegetable starter (for example, grated carrot salad, or beet salad), a warm main course served with a side of grains or vegetables, cheese, and dessert.
Fresh baguette, eaten plain, is also served. The kids drink water (there are no other drinks of any kind available at lunch, and there is a national ban on vending machines and junk food in all French schools). Dessert is usually fresh fruit, but a sweet treat is often served once a week.
There is only one choice on the menu, and food is served to children at the table until they are finished primary school (at 12 years old). This may be why the place where lunch is eaten is called a ‘restaurant scolaire‘ (school restaurant). High-school students typically get two choices for each course and often eat in a ‘self’ (meaning a self-serve cafeteria), although many French parents are ambivalent about this self-service model (preferring the idea of a restaurant).
The French Ministry of National Education sets a minimum time requirement for children to sit at the table: 30 minutes. This is in order to allow them eat their food sufficiently slowly and properly. Talk about ‘slow food’ training!
What were your children’s biggest challenges with adjusting to the French way of eating?
The elimination of random snacking was a big challenge. They were used to asking for, and getting, food when they wanted it. But when I realised this was reducing their appetite (so they ate less at mealtimes), I decided that random snacking had to go. We scheduled one snack per day (after school) and I made sure it was really healthy and tasty. After a week or two they settled into the new rhythm and have completely stopped asking for random snacks.
How long did it take to see a change in your children’s eating habits?
It took about two weeks for my younger daughter (a toddler) and a month (or two) for my older daughter. In general, the younger the child, the more quickly you’ll see a change. But it is never too late.