In New Zealand, the school lunch concept does not exist, and every student brings their own lunch or previously purchased pre-packaged food.

“”We didn’t have a cafeteria, [but] we had one hour lunches during school so we had a lot of freedom,”” said Conor Mckay, transfer student from New Zealand.

One example of a traditional food they bring to school is Maori, a Hangi cooked food such as fish or chicken.

Hangi is a culinary style used in New Zealand to cook food on hot stones in a pit. New Zealand food is made from their local ingredients, with mainly a British based cuisine.

Some New Zealanders believe that lunch is the parent’s responsibility. However others believe that the government should be more involved in the school and health programs.

“”The New Zealand public wants strong government leadership to ensure that what is served in the school canteen matches what is taught in the curriculum about healthy eating,””said Professor Boyd Swinburn the population nutrition specialist at University of Auckland.