In fact, we don't allow peanuts in the district I work in.
Or the one my wife used to work in.
Found out Friday I was in violation of school policy last year when i had mini-Snickers in my classroom to reward the occasional instance of exceptional behavior. Peanuts.
Most of the lunches in the cafeteria looked no better or worse than most of the ones from other countries. Overcooked veggies (that artichoke is on its last legs), mystery meat, stuff in little plastic bottles. It really doesn't matter if you stew the meat to mush in a commissary or over a camp fire; it doesn't matter if you've cooked the veggies to mush on-site or not. But they usually come with something fresh(er) on the side--more often than not some sort of salad, perhaps cole slaw or a fruit--and some dose of starch (rice, bread, pasta).
I work in a large high school. They make most of their food on site, even if that just means opening up the 50-lb bags of Krusteaz and mixing it with water before baking.
That's true in the two districts I have experience with, where I used to live in Oregon, and where I went to school in MD.
More problematic is, say, the narrowness of the American kid's tastes. Not compelled to eat some of everything when they're small, but to pick and choose the few things they and their friends want, when they get to school they continue to have a restricted diet. Too much work making kids do what they should. Easier to let them do what they want.
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