If only American kids could eat school lunches like they do in France

The standard school lunch for an American child often contains dishes brimming with preservatives and sodium. While some schools have completely overhauled their school menus to contain fresh vegetables and grains, others still struggle with meeting nutritional guidelines. But for students in France, it appears that school lunches are the least of their concerns.

Rebecca Plantier moved to a town near Annecy, France to research why French children aren’t as overweight as many American children are. The local city council offered Plantier a tour of her children’s cafeteria, orcantine as...