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School meal
meal provided to students at school / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1]
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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.