Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Korean Culture and Information Service

Children have lunch at an elementary school in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do Province. Non-genetically modified organisms and other environmentally friendly ingredients were used to make this lunch under the theme “eco-friendly meal.”

Meals at school cafeterias are one of the most important – if not critical – elements of education for students who have to spend quite a lot of time at school. 

School lunches in Korea are widely viewed as being high in quality and offering balanced nutrition. But nutrition is not everything; children want things that taste good. Fortunately, Korean nutritionists have been able to devise recipes that satisfy administrators and children – with some kids even joking that they go to school to eat, not to study. 

Korea started to provide lunches at elementary schools in the late 1990s and expanded the program to middle and high schools through the mid-2000s. Local governments and regional education offices have provided and increased financial support, so lunches are now offered for free at all elementary schools nationwide and most middle and high schools. 

Each school employs a nutritionist to ensure that the meals are good for kids in every sense. 

A standard school lunch with rice, soup, side dishes and dessert (Courtesy of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation)

Served on a five- or six-section tray, the standard meal consists of rice (usually with mixed grains); soup; two or three different side dishes that include meat and vegetables; various types of kimchi (cabbage, radish or cucumber); and dessert (fruit, cookies, juice, or even ice cream). Nutritionists select foods that provide all of the nutrients that a particular age group needs, such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, as well as adequate calories.  

Many schools have “Clean Plate Wednesdays” to encourage students to eat everything that is served. To make it easier, the kids’ favorites – pasta, bokkeumbap (stir-fried rice), pork cutlets and bibimbap – are normally on the menu that day. 

Some nutritionists cut costs elsewhere to surprise students with high-quality delicacies. These special treats not only delight students but also generate positive awareness of the school through the personal photos that students post online. Several years ago, a high school in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province, served each student a full lobster, making the school’s lunch program an internet sensation.   

In recent years, some regional education offices have been encouraging schools to introduce vegetarian meals one to four times a month to get children to help fight climate change by reducing meat consumption and hence their own carbon footprints. 

Twenty schools in Seoul adopted a “salad bar” system this year to provide daily options to vegan students or those who prefer not to eat meat. The regional education office in the capital plans to increase the number of such schools to 40 by 2024. 

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