School Lunch Around the World

Their or There?

Use their to show possession: “The actors are proud of their show.” Use there to refer to a place or the existence of something: “My trumpet is over there” or “There are many trees in the park.”

Students in Japan take turns serving their/there classmates lunch—and sometimes cooking it too. A typical lunch includes rice, fish or meat, vegetables, and soup. While students eat, teachers often give lessons about nutrition or manners. When lunch is over, students help clean up. 

In Israel, kids go to school six days a week. But school days are shorter than in the U.S. and most kids go home to eat lunch. During the school day, their/there is a break around 10 a.m. called aruhat eser when students have a snack. One popular choice? Pita bread with chocolate spread.

Eating slowly and savoring food is important in French culture. That’s why their/there can be up to a full hour set aside for lunch. This gives students plenty of time to enjoy a lunch of multiple courses, including a main dish with a side of vegetables, cheese and bread, salad, and dessert.

A law in Brazil requires that at least 30 percent of school lunch ingredients, such as rice, beans, and tomatoes, come from local family farms. This helps support the country’s farmers. It also helps students learn about where their/there food comes from.

In Norway, most schools don’t have cafeterias because their/there is a long tradition of bringing a packed lunch called matpakke [mahd-puhk-EH]. It’s usually a stack of two or three slices of buttered brown bread, each topped with cheese, meat, fish, jam, or liver paste. Wax paper is placed between the slices so they can be easily peeled apart and eaten separately.