School lunch recipes as Japan's budget-friendly secret

If you've got kids in Japan, you've probably had them come home raving about school lunch. Maybe it was a noodle salad, wakame rice, or some dish you've never even heard of before. It seems like people are a bit inspired by this, and have taken to recreating some of these meals at home.

According to recipe site Cookpad, searches for school lunch recipes are up 1.4 times compared to last year. Families are looking for cost-effective nutrition tips as food prices keep rising, and school lunches are suddenly the model to follow.

I actually think following a school lunch at home model isn't a bad idea! The menus are designed by nutritionists who have to make them healthy, affordable, and appealing to kids, which is no small feat. Also, some of the tricks mentioned in the press release I linked are pretty clever, like mixing freeze-dried tofu into chicken to stretch it further. The menus are surprisingly varied, with everything from chili con carne to bibimbap alongside local specialties.

If you are wanting to try out some school lunch at home recipes, there are several linked on the press release above.