This study aims to obtain information about school lunches to be regarded as reference. I conducted research on the school lunch situation in Slovakia, where school lunches have been served for more than 70 years.
I examined school lunches at kindergarten, elementary school and high school in the capital city, Bratislava. I also interviewed the managers of school lunches at those schools, and administered a questionnaire survey to the elementary school students.
I found that the school lunches in Slovakia are strictly regulated by detailed rules, including penalties, and that school lunch menus are determined by referring to standard recipes created by expert committee members whose duty it is to inspect school lunches. The questionnaire survey established a high preference for milk, yogurt and cheese. In addition, Slovakian school lunches are provided in dining halls, with menus comprised mostly of traditional home-style dishes, in order to replicate the home dining experience as much as possible. Standard recipes, provided by expert committee members, took into account nutritional balance, food culture, and local production for local consumption, to ensure high quality.
In Slovakia, all schools utilize standard recipes, providing an environment similar to home-style dining, and the facilities are equipped to cook with these recipes, using home-style utensils. This situation can be referred in Japan.
