We were practicing Olympic athletic events at school this morning in PE so I was very hungry come lunchtime and it didn't help that my year were second last in the queue! My sister and I were a bit nervous that we would get into trouble asking for fruit with our lunch today so Dad printed off an email from the council and my sister put it in her school bag. I had to ask for fruit and they were unsure but when they checked it was ok.

Today's Shepherd's Pie was really nice. The mash on top was really creamy and the mince was in lovely gravy. I wonder where their meat comes from. The salad was lovely and crunchy. The cake looked really difficult to serve because the icing was so sticky. I saved my melon until last and it was a great way to end my lunch.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 32
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 7/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Miranda from the Unites States of America (1 second! Would have been longer but Miranda didn't mention where she is in the USA) has sent this photo of her lunch. She says its bigger because she is at High School for grade 9-12.

Miranda says it's an example of the worst food she gets at school because the spaghetti has a dye in that stains and that the milk is very sweet. She enjoys the salad, as long as it has a dressing and says 'the gummies, not much to say about them, they are simply gummies. Good gummies at that :-)'

Food-O-Meter: 5/10
Mouthfuls: 51
Courses: All one course. We go up and choose what we want, and it is put on our (flimsy styrofoam) platter. Generally, we get one main course (the spaghetti) with a side course (the bread), a drink (the cocoa milk) and 2 mini-sides (the salad and gummy candies). Anything else is charged extra.
Health rating: 3/10
Price: 1.42 quid (that's 2.25 american dollars. sorry I could not put the pound sign, my keyboard is not international)
Pieces of hair: 0
Veggies: I took a salad, that's about 5/10, 14 mouthfuls.


Miranda I have no idea what gummies are but I am glad you like them! What is very different is I think you bin your tray and fork where as ours get washed. Do you recycle them?

It's sports day tomorrow and I hope tomorrow's lunch is as good as today's as we are racing all afternoon!

VEG

It happened today! As we lined up for lunch we were officially told that we are all allowed as much salad, fruit and bread as we want and that we had always been able to.....well my friends and I never knew that. It must have been a well kept secret. Everyone is really happy about the news now. We can have fruit and a dessert, fruit if you have a starter and both salad and veg! It's much clearer.

People have been asking about the bands we wear so here is today's,

Our teachers get given the bands during the morning and then we get given them just before lunch. They are comfy and you don't really notice them.

I wanted to avoid the fish and chips today so I chose the tomato pasta with peas but I couldn't resist some pineapple again from the salads. I don't think pineapple goes with the pasta, or maybe the pasta doesn't go with the pineapple if you see what I mean!

Food-o-meter- 5/10
Mouthfuls- 30
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

I'd like to thank Katie who taught in NanNing, GuangXi province, China (21 seconds, its near the Vietnam border) for this photo,

It is soup and pork with rice and cost 8 Renminbi about £0.80 which I thnk is really good value. We are not allowed fizzy drinks in Scotland but the drink cost 2.5 Renminbi, 25 pence.

Please keep sending your photos to neverseconds@gmail.com I love them!

VEG

Things don't always go right. I know this because I still fall off my bike, not often but it does happen when I am trying something really tricky. Today the menu ordering system was so confusing it went wrong. I ordered an enchilada but I got a sausage and bean pitta pocket.

One pineapple ring didn't even make it to the table, I ate it on the way! Inside the pitta bread are baked beans and mini sausages. It's quite difficult to eat because it all falls out as you pick it up! I'm not a fan of sweet milkshakes and mine today wasn't sweet, or chocolatey. The cupcakes today were all iced with strawberry icing and I liked that off first!

Food-o-meter- 5/10
Mouthfuls- 29 not including cake licking
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Over to Mr Rettele's 4th grade class from Spokane, Washington, in the United States (19 seconds!) I think I am a 5th grader but I am not sure. The class have done a critic of their lunch.

'Chef Salad Lunch -
We had a crunchy salad consisting of lettuce, cabbage, turkey, ham, cheese, tomato, cucumbers, radishes and carrots. On the side we were able to have peaches, kiwi, cauliflower and pickles. We have milk everyday - your choice of chocolate, strawberry or white (which is boring). For desert we were given fruit snacks. The vegetables were crispy and full of juice.'

Thank you guys from Room 201 at Arlington Elementary School! The food looks scrumptious, white milk is boring but I see you have more compartments on your tray!

VEG

Two, no three, no four fantastic bits of news today!

Whilst I was having my tea my blog went through 1 million hits! I didn't see it but Wrae sent me a photo showing the counter so I haven't missed out, thank you Wrae. When I started writing this I thought only my family and friends would see it so it's amazing so many people have visited and you all care about school food.

My second bit of news is that Dad and I have been invited to a meeting organised by a famous Scottish chef called Nick Nairn. He's invited loads of important people and us to discuss school food and school cooking lessons. I'm really looking forward to meeting him if I can go.

I almost forgot to take a photo today and I had a bite of my burger before I remembered so I turned it around so you can't see it! I had yellow and red peppers, cucumber and roast potatoes. The roast potatoes taste different to the ones at home, My roast potatoes today tasted more like mash. The weather was so nice we were allowed to take our lollies outside.

Food-o-meter- 6/10
Mouthfuls- I lost count when I started licking the lolly
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Jamie has sent me a photo of a school meal from Yokohama, Japan (33 seconds!)

I only recognise the asparagus, if it is asparagus! Jamie explains,

'I think this one was my favourite, and it had a container of white rice on the side. From the top left and going clockwise, it had:

- pickled daikon radish and sour plum
- steamed sliced okra
- konnyaku jelly (the grey lumpy bits - a high fibre chewy food made from the devil tongue plant. Not much flavour on its own but picks up sauces well) and a chewy rice dumpling thing
- green beans and carrots and garlic
- white fish (mackerel, I think) wrapped in a leaf and steamed
- vegetables and egg cooked with a soy glaze

Taste 8/10
Healthiness 8/10
Price 450 yen (£3.61)'

I recognise the green beans and carrots now! There are so many things I have never tasted.


My last two bits of news? I went to the Dentist and need no fillings again and Mum and Dad came back proud from Parent's Evening at school.

What a day!

VEG

I had a really cool morning at school making a comic strip for the ancient Olympics. I read loads of fact sheets and did you know in wrestling that you were not allowed to bite but you were allowed to break your opponent's fingers! We don't do wrestling in PE. I'm glad!

I decided to try something new today and I chose the vegetable spring rolls from the menu. They came with sticky rice which was amazing because it stuck to itself but not to my fork. My soup today must be the best soup in the world. It was chicken noodle soup and the noodles melt in your mouth. My dad thought I was drinking coffee with my lunch but it was really chocolate milkshake. I don't think I will have spring rolls again but I will always have the soup! I am still not sure if I could have had fruit today because I had a starter. I will ask a teacher tomorrow.

Food-o-meter- 3/10
Mouthfuls- 20, because I didn't finish the rolls
Courses- starter/main
Health Rating- 5/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Today I have been sent lots of photos from America. This one was sent in by Kimberley who works in the Glenview school district, near Chicago, Illinois. Dad timed me to find Chicago on the globe and it took me 48 seconds but it was not fair as I was looking for it spelt SHicargo.

I would have chosen Glenview food over mine today and eaten everything!


VEG

Today was an orange day! After my teacher did the register this morning he read out the menu choices and we all had to choose. I was given my orange wristband at lunchtime after I had washed my hands. This means I had ordered lamb meatballs and I think the system is so that no one can change their mind. I think the wristbands are a good idea because it was annoying when the food ran out.

The meatballs tasted like meatballs, not lamb, if you know what I mean! I can't remember what the gravy tasted like but it was good mixed with the mash potato. We've not had these yoghurts before but the toffee flavour was lovely even though it tasted of oranges. Told you it was an orange day!

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- 30, I cut the meatballs in half
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Not everyone has school dinners and a lot of children bring packed lunches. This packed lunch has been sent in by 6yr old Lily's mum and it's all home made including the bread for the sandwich! I like the look of banana muffin and all the fruit and its all in a really clever looking box.

I wonder what colour wristband I'll wear tomorrow. I hope you noticed the new category!

VEG

I totally forgot for half the morning then at lunchtime it came right to my head to tell my friends they are allowed as much salad, bread and fruit as they like. I told them to spread it around the school quickly because no one had gone around the classes and told them. I was a bit nervous to ask but I did ask for more peas!

I chose a Chicken grill which on the old menu was called a chicken burger but it is exactly the same. With it I had chips which means it must be Friday and you can see my extra peas! One of my peas was black, I had a black eyed pea! If you look closely its the one in the middle. I love the sticky gooey icing the school puts on its sponges.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 44, I left the black pea
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

Last year my friends and I started a club, which the school let us run, called Charity Children. We raised money for Mary's Meals. In our first sale we raised £70 in three hours which is enough to feed 7 children school lunches for a WHOLE YEAR! A lot of kids go to school everyday just for the food. Each lunch costs 6p to make.

This is Liberia. It's rice, fish and vegetables. I hope they are eating the meals we paid for.


VEG