Eating habits of children in France vs. United StatesThe way children eat is very different in each country. They are the most diverse in France and the United States. From children's lunch at school to dinner at home, they are different. How they eat meals at home and how much they cost are also not similar. There is no arguing that the United States is an unhealthy country, unlike France, where good eating habits are learned very early in life and practiced throughout one's life. In the United States the daily public school lunch consists of pizza, cheeseburgers, Chef Boyardee ravioli, fried chicken fingers, french fries and it gets worse. Most American students hate school lunches, which means that as soon as they can drive, they leave school and go to the nearest fast food restaurant. “Critics say school meals contribute to the fattening of the United States.” (5) The most controversial discussion about school meals in the United States occurred when "David Stockman, Reagan's budget director, proposed classifying ketchup as a vegetable to meet dietary needs while reducing costs." (5) Honestly, what's the next step? American school lunches must meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines, which is obviously not enough considering that "30% of individual calories come from fat and 10% from saturated fat." (5)School lunches are much more diverse in France. “Many schools already employ their own nutritionist, who works with a committee of parents to ensure lunches provide a healthy and balanced diet.” (5) "A typical school lunch in France costs from 1.50 to 4 euros each, depending on the region. The poorest parents pay only a small part of the total." (5) What we in America serve to our children, the French consider to be an adult meal, as the French believe that good eating habits begin early in life. The French school lunch consists of "a grapefruit appetizer, followed by grilled chicken with green beans, then a cheese plate and rice pudding for dessert. The snack of the day is a tangerine. Once a week chips are offered but with lasagne with salmon, rather than sausages or hamburgers, while Thursday's pizza is served with a healthy green salad." (5) Children are not loud drinks or drinks of any kind; they eat all school meals with plain water.