Japan is one of the developed countries that has found a way to balance the two goals in terms of school nutrition and still keep the obesity rate extremely low., all thanks to school lunch.

Report of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) just announced amazing results for Japan. Accordingly, the Northeast Asian country holds the top position in child health indicators, with a low rate of stillbirth and few cases of malnourished children.

At the same time, The country also managed to reduce obesity rates among the lowest 41 developed countries in the group of Cooperation Organizations & Economic development (OECD) and the European Union (ME).

After analysis, Experts have found that the nationwide compulsory school lunch program is key to Japan's miracle..

“Nutrition experts make menus that are carefully calculated to suit the growth of students, applies to all elementary schools and most middle schools across Japan.”, AFP quoted Professor Dr. Mitsuhiko Hara of Tokyo University Kasei Gakuin.

All students must eat lunch at school, and not allowed to bring rice, with the maximum supported price from the government budget.

Each meal is designed to ensure calorie levels from 600 come 700, balance between starch substances, meat or fish and vegetables.

“School meals are designed to provide the forms of nutrients that meals at home may be lacking”, Education Ministry official Mayumi Ueda said, and thus provide the necessary balance in nutrition for students.

School lunches in Japan originated very early, as recorded in year 1889, when children from poor families in northern Yamagata prefecture were given rice balls and grilled fish.

However, since World War II, This program is replicated nationwide to prevent children from going hungry in the context of food scarcity.

Besides that, nutrition programs are broadcast at school every day, explain the benefits of each dish, To educate children to understand how to choose foods that are good for them later.