In your country, are free school meals offered to poorer pupils?

[Östsvensk]

Yeah, and then the kids have the audacity to complain about the quality of the food.

[InmostLight]

Here it's families under the state poverty line, which includes most of the rural US. Note that the parents have to turn in their tax returns to first prove their poverty, and many parents don't believe in hand outs. A lot of kids at my school would have qualified if their parents were willing to fill out the form, but they just went hungry.

[Melkiirs]

Here it's families under the state poverty line, which includes most of the rural US. Note that the parents have to turn in their tax returns to first prove their poverty, and many parents don't believe in hand outs. A lot of kids at my school would have qualified if their parents were willing to fill out the form, but they just went hungry.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is from the USDA and is based on federal poverty level given household size. This is the same for all states and territories except for Alaska and Hawaii because of higher cost of living. Reduced lunches require up to 185% of poverty level and free lunches up to 130%. I don't think states can change the criteria.

Here is a recent edibility table from the USDA:


https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/fr-020923

[Creoda]

not really free ,more some social assistance for the poor parents, a kind of social care

new yorker school canteen,normal8ly they shouldn't starving to death

That's another thing different here than the US (and UK), no school cafeterias. Kids eat outside, and mostly bring packed lunches. At my high school the only hot food the crappy canteen sold for years was (microwaved) buttered bread rolls.

[PlattitüdenPaule]

Yeah, and then the kids have the audacity to complain about the quality of the food.

Let me guess, they refuse to eat it when its pork?

[Incal]

Let me guess, they refuse to eat it when its pork?

lol

[Östsvensk]

Let me guess, they refuse to eat it when its pork?

There have been instances where schools removed pork from the menu because of Muslims (although brought back from critique). Usually they have a vegetarian and non-vegetaran option, so you can go with the vegetarian if you don't want to eat pork.

[PlattitüdenPaule]

There have been instances where schools removed pork from the menu because of Muslims (although brought back from critique). Usually they have a vegetarian and non-vegetaran option, so you can go with the vegetarian if you don't want to eat pork.

No big news, just like everywhere in the western part of Europes northern half. They just feel entitled to it because their crappy excuse of a "holy" scripture tells them so.

[InmostLight]

Yeah, and then the kids have the audacity to complain about the quality of the food.

I understand that beggars can't be choosers, but children have no control over whether or not they are born into poverty. In my area, if you're on free lunch, you are given a significantly lower quality of food, including things that have been reheated throughout the entire week to the point of being nearly inedible. It's mortifying being a kid and trying to chew up a rock-hard chicken nugget just because your parents can't or won't take care of you.

[Östsvensk]

I understand that beggars can't be choosers, but children have no control over whether or not they are born into poverty. In my area, if you're on free lunch, you are given a significantly lower quality of food, including things that have been reheated throughout the entire week to the point of being nearly inedible. It's mortifying being a kid and trying to chew up a rock-hard chicken nugget just because your parents can't or won't take care of you.

I admit that I wasn't much of a fan of the school food myself. Spoiled me would sometimes go to my grandparents where my grandma fed me pancakes when I didn't like what was on the menu.