School lunches are a hot topic right now, with primary school kids back at the grindstone from this week.

Magazines are full of articles about what a parent could or should put into the child's lunchbox, but what if the government did the job for us?

Food is not routinely provided for school children here, as it is in most other EU counties. 

The Green party wants to change that, their general election manifesto includes the promise to pursue the provision of school lunches... at an estimated cost of €350 milllion a year.

US food chain Sweetgreen has published images of school lunches around the world on their Tumblr page to show what a well-balanced meal is considered to be in different countries.

They don't have an image of what an Irish canteen lunch might look like. But check out the competition below:

Italy

Local fish on a bed of arugula, pasta with tomato sauce, caprese salad, baguette and some grapes

Finland

Pea soup, beet salad, carrot salad, bread and pannakkau (dessert pancake) with fresh berries

France

Steak, carrots, green beans, cheese and fresh fruit

Brazil

Pork with mixed veggies, black beans and rice, salad, bread and baked plantains

South Korea

Fish soup, tofu over rice, kimchi and fresh veggies

Greece

Baked chicken over orzo, stuffed grape leaves, tomato and cucumber salad, fresh oranges, and greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds

Ukraine

Mashed potatoes with sausage, borscht, cabbage and syrniki (a dessert pancake)

Spain

Sautéed shrimp over brown rice and vegetables, gazpacho, fresh peppers, bread and an orange

USA

Fried ‘popcorn’ chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit cup and a chocolate chip cookie