French schools ration ketchup to keep kids French

The thought of school dinners might bring back memories of lumpy mash, gristle and an obscene amount of green vegetables but these days, kids get an easier ride.

They have fries and pizza and burgers and other fatty foods that would make Jamie Oliver cry all the water out of his earnest body in one foul swoop.

But over in France, eager to ensure that things stay more French, officials are hoping to limit American foods and make sure kids are more aware of national cuisine. There's a fear that the current generation won't be aware of classic French recipes to hand down to their children. In other words, less squeezy cheese and more brie.

They are rationing ketchup in primary and secondary school canteens, making sure it's only offered with certain meals. They're concerned that kids just smother every meal with the red stuff, ignoring the fact that this might have more to do with the quality of the dinners.

Either way, we're still jealous. The only way we could make our school dinners go down easier was to throw them out and feel painfully empty until home-time. Ah, best days of our lives...

[via TIME]

(Image: Rex Features)