The principal of Nauru Secondary School inspecting school lunches (2012)
A typical school lunch, in Sweden
Many schools are organized in such a way that they last all day. Very often, the break at midday is too short for the children to return home, to get a hot meal. So these schools serve hot meals (also called **school meals**, or **hot lunches**) at noon. Because they are only for the students, teachers and staff, some form of identification may be required to get in.Bigger schools have often adapted, so that the people get different menus to choose from. Common choices are vegetarian meals, or gluten-free ones. Also because the target group is limited, the meals are either provided free of charge (as their cost is covered elsewhere), or at a cheap price. Sometimes high-energy food is provided as well.

The ideas for providing school meals may be different from country to country: In highly developed countries, the school meal is a good source of nutrients. In less developed countries, offering a school meal (free of charge) may be a reason to send children to school and continue their education. They help children become healthy and productive adults. With this they break the cycle of poverty and hunger.

History
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The first school lunches were served in Munich, in 1790. An A physicist from America, Benjamin Thomsom, also known as Count Rumford, startted them. Thomson founded the Poor people's institute, to make clothing, mostly uniforms for the German army. He employed adults and children. In exchange for the work the people working there were giben clothing, and free meals. The children were also taught how to read and write, and how to do some basic mathematics. Years later, Thomsom operated a soup kitchen in London, where he would feed 60.000 people a day. Thomson did a lor for feeding the poor i Europe; he is crediited with being the first to serve potatoes to these people. He also invented or improved many of the machines which are still used in large kitchens today.

In the United Kingdom, many changes have been made since school meals were introduced in the 19th century. The first National School Meals Policy was published across the United Kingdom in 1941. This policy set the first nutritional guidelines for school lunches, requiring balanced meals which include the appropriate levels of protein, fat, and calories.

Pupils eating school meals at the Vallila Folk School in Vallila, Helsinki, Finland (1913)
In the United States, there was a gap during the industrial era. Poor children were suffering from malnutrition and hunger due to a low income of the families. Philadelphia and Boston were the first two cities to introduce school lunches in the U.S. Organizations such as Women's Education and the Starr Center Association began serving hot meals to students for an affordable cost. Soon, teachers noticed the benefits of students both mentally and physically. The federal government wasn't involved until the Great Depression (1920s), farmers and labors weren't doing well financially and the school lunch program was a solution that benefited everyone.

In recent years, school districts have faced government or community pressure to change the foods served in schools. The addition of vegan school lunch and Meatless Mondays are examples of these changes.

Types
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There are generally two types of school meals:

* Free school meals
* School meals at a reduced price

### Free school meal

Sweden, Finland, Estonia and India are among the few countries which provide **free school meals** to all pupils in compulsory education, regardless of their ability to pay. Many countries provide meals to improve attendance rates. In India, where all the Government School students are provided with free lunch meals through the Midday Meal Scheme, staple food that varies between different states and regions is provided along with free education.

In high-income countries, free meals are usually available only to children who meet income-based criteria.

A study of a free school meal program in the United States found that providing free meals to elementary and middle school children in areas characterized by high food insecurity led to better school discipline among the students.

As of 2022[update] in England, 20.8% of the 8.9 million pupils attending schools in 2020/21 are known to be eligible for free school meals.

### Reduced price meals

**Reduced price meals** are also available in some countries to those who need a degree of assistance with costs. Lower-cost meals are available to students in such countries as France, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.