Kyuushoku

Kyuushoku means school lunch in Japanese. Every day both the junior high schoolers and the elementary schoolers receive a school lunch. I pay for mine, but the cost is an insanely cheap Y275 or Y315 per meal (ES or JHS). Although they may look small in the photographs, I find the portions to be huge and struggle to eat all my food, even when its a meal I like. The calories are usually around 800 per meal, but range form 600 to 900 depending on the school and the meal itself. I must look pathetic next to my students, who all finish their entire meal 99% of the time! There is a big emphasis on mottainai here; in English it means something like "Don't waste!".

seaweed and fish rice, milk, soup, hamburg steak, meat and vegetables	rice, milk, nikujaga, miso mackerel, vinegared squid salad	rice, milk, mabo tofu, gyoza, noodle salad
rice, milk, stir fried tofu & vegetables, saury, soup	raisin bread, milk, chicken ball soup, fried shrimp with mayo, seaweed salad	carrot pilaf, milk, shrimp ball soup, potato gratin, chili con carne, jelly
rice, milk, soup, chicken and vegetables, salad	fried rice, milk, egg drop soup, shumai, vegetables with chicken	rice, milk, soup, meat and vegetables, menchi katsu
corn soup, milk, bread, fried salmon, noodle salad, cream crepe	mushroom rice, milk, soup, konnyaku  salad, fish with daikon	rice, milk, miso soup, chicken and vegetable stir fry, salad
rice, milk, soup, sweet potatoes and  meat, fish, orange jelly	rice, milk, meat and vegetable stew, fried roll thing, noodle salad	rice, milk, soup, seaweed salad, minced meat and veg, slice of pear
rice, milk, german potatoes, ketchup and cheese fish, soup (absent)	rice, milk, pork curry, fried salmon, yogurt fruit salad	rice, milk, meatballs, vegetables, soup, maple cake
rice, milk, soup, black sesame fish, vegetable salad	rice, milk, soup, vegetable omelet, salad	rice, milk, meat and vegetable soup, fish, sauteed lotus root, rice custard
purple rice, milk, vegetable soup, fried aji fish, cabbage salad	rice, milk, soup, curried chicken, tofu salad	rice, milk, egg soup, sweet and sour meatballs, japanese style broccoli
kobe bread, milk, udon noodle soup, vegetable fritter, tiny fish salad, pear	rice, milk, broccoli pottage soup, tomato chicken gratin, potato salad	hayashi rice, milk, broccoli & ham omelette, yogurt fruit salad
rice, milk, egg soup, sweet potato salad, fried ham and cheese	rice, milk, cream of something soup, salad, slightly spicy fish	fried rice, milk, egg soup, mayo salmon, gobo ham salad
rice, milk, miso soup, sesame fish,  salad	milk, ramen, bread, mochi gyoza  dumplings, salad	purple rice, milk, soup, whole fried hata fish, salad
rice, milk, healthy mabo dofu, fried chicken, salad with sausage	chestnut rice, milk, clam soup, meat filled tofu skins, salad	rice, milk, meat and potato soup, fried pork cutlet, cabbage salad
rice, milk, soup, fried fish with katsu sauce, salad	rice, milk, chop suey, noodle salad, gyoza dumplings	fried cocoa bread, milk, soup, salad, wiener
rice, milk, soup, fish, nori, vinegared salad	bread, milk, napolitan spaghetti, salad, potato gratin	shrimp pilaf, milk, soup, salad, fried chicken, christmas roll cake