I decided to try something different today. I usually would pick the burrito from today's menu but I chose the gammon steak instead. We don't have gammon at home because we don't cure our pork and I don't think I've tried it before.

The pineapple was placed on top of the gammon so it was nice and warm. I didn't finish my gammon because I was unsure about the outside bits which were dark. You can tell now I have a dislike of black food! I asked for carrot sticks, peppers and an extra bit of pineapple to go with it. The new potatoes were very shiny and moved about easily. Some people have been asking why I have a plastic spoon for dessert. I don't know but I will ask because we just throw it away everyday. We don't recycle them. The icing on the cake was lovely. I didn't go back for fruit because I didn't finish my gammon.

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- 47
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- Still 0! yes!
Wristband- Orange

Many people in Finland (10 seconds!) have been in touch and sent me photos of their lunches and they all look so tasty. I was amazed to find out that all children in Finland get a free school lunch everyday!

This is from a 16yr old girl who emailed in English (I think that's amazing) and said 'We can take as much food as we like, there is no one putting it to our plates, or saying how much we can take. It is sausage and veggie soup with rye bread, cheese, cucumber and milk.' I love soups and I would really like a big meaty soup for lunch. It would be two course in one! Thank you Supremacu for sending it in.

Tomorrow is special because we are having a Diamond Jubilee lunch to celebrate 60 years of the Queen reigning. It used to be 75 years but it was changed to 60 for Queen Victoria (my fact of the day!)

VEG

I played a clarinet solo in a concert today after school to celebrate the end of my first year learning to play. I was so stiff with nerves at the end of the performance that I had to take a moment before I could walk away. I still had butterflies afterwards when I played in our small group of five. The concert was in the lunch hall and it was packed and everyone clapped and cheered a lot.

Because I stayed in school until 6pm (I normally leave at 3.30pm) I had a big lunch and chose the hot-dog over pizza. You can't see fruit in the picture because you get it at the end only if you've eaten the rest of your food now.

With my hot-dog I had sweetcorn which had some brown bits which I didn't eat but Dad says that's perfectly normal and how the plant grows. I love sweetcorn because I know the plants grow taller than Dad and he's really tall. I had 2 croquettes which are mashed potato in breadcrumbs but i am not sure how they are cooked. I was going to have pineapple but I didn't to make sure I could finish everything and go back for fruit which was melon today. I don't think my ketchup counts as one of my 5 a day!

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 37
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 8/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Dara from Atlanta, Georgia, USA (49 seconds, America is big!) is the same age as me! She attends a Jewish school and all her food is prepared using kosher food which she explains means 'we can’t eat any pork or shellfish and all the meat/chicken must be process in a special way. You can never eat or cook milk and meat together – no cheeseburgers!'

Dara says 'Every day we have a 10 topping salad bar of veggies, hardboiled eggs, tuna fish, chick peas and crunchy toppings. We have a soup, 1 main meal selection, a drink, and fruit for dessert. The most popular items on my salad bar are the hummus and pita bread! Today the main meal was beef tacos and rice with chicken noodle soup. I had the sunflower seeds, crispy noodles and hummus and pita bread from the salad bar. We ARE allowed to go back and get as much food as we like! There are some big eaters in my school especially on pizza days.

My lunches cost $5.50 per day - around £3.50. We always use disposable plastic trays and disposable plastic utensils. We don’t recycle the trays but we do recycle water bottles.'

I would really like to try your kosher food, it looks fantastic! I'm excited for Dara because she starts her summer holiday on Friday......I've another month wait before mine start but Dara and I will go back to school at the same time. Your holiday is huge!

VEG

Fantastic sports day today. It wasn't too hot and the wind kept the midgies away. Midgies are tiny flies that bite you and suck your blood. Scotland is famous for them but they can't fly if it's windy. I like the wind. In the three legged race there were four teams. My friend and I were running really fast and were in first place when we tripped and went flying! Two teams overtook whilst we were picking ourselves off the floor but we managed to get a third. It didn't matter because it was just for fun. Overall I got a 1st in the long run, 1st in the sprint and 3rd in the three legged.

Today's lunch was special because it's my favourite. There was no soup on today but it didn't matter because I wouldn't have chosen it over ice-cream and shortbread. I googled the Hindi for fantastic so I can say my chicken curry was शानदार (śānadāra)! I mix the rice and curry together but I put the broccoli in the cup holder so I can eat it afterwards. I always eat my shortbread before the ice-cream. The shortbread is really nice because it's covered in sugar. The teachers told everyone in school today that we are all allowed fruit everyday but today I chose not to have any.

Food-o-meter- 10/10 I told you its my favourite!
Mouthfuls- 36
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 7/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Thanks to Emily from Shetland (9 seconds because I knew it was part of Scotland) who is in Sendai, Japan (32 seconds) where she teaches English in a Primary School for sending me this photo.

'Students always have milk and they have to bring their own chopsticks. My chopsticks are Winnie the Pooh! Students always eat in their classrooms at their desks and there is no choice (everyone eats the same thing). The food in this lunch is fish, seaweed rice, tofu and egg soup and salad with sesame dressing.' Emily adds that the meal costs 250yen, about £2.

It looks like Emily keeps her chopsticks in a case. I like the idea of eating at my desk but it's probably too messy!

I really enjoyed my curry today and I'd love to see some meals from India please! I'd be grateful for photos of all your lunches and ratings to neverseconds@gmail.com

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We were practicing Olympic athletic events at school this morning in PE so I was very hungry come lunchtime and it didn't help that my year were second last in the queue! My sister and I were a bit nervous that we would get into trouble asking for fruit with our lunch today so Dad printed off an email from the council and my sister put it in her school bag. I had to ask for fruit and they were unsure but when they checked it was ok.

Today's Shepherd's Pie was really nice. The mash on top was really creamy and the mince was in lovely gravy. I wonder where their meat comes from. The salad was lovely and crunchy. The cake looked really difficult to serve because the icing was so sticky. I saved my melon until last and it was a great way to end my lunch.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 32
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 7/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Miranda from the Unites States of America (1 second! Would have been longer but Miranda didn't mention where she is in the USA) has sent this photo of her lunch. She says its bigger because she is at High School for grade 9-12.

Miranda says it's an example of the worst food she gets at school because the spaghetti has a dye in that stains and that the milk is very sweet. She enjoys the salad, as long as it has a dressing and says 'the gummies, not much to say about them, they are simply gummies. Good gummies at that :-)'

Food-O-Meter: 5/10
Mouthfuls: 51
Courses: All one course. We go up and choose what we want, and it is put on our (flimsy styrofoam) platter. Generally, we get one main course (the spaghetti) with a side course (the bread), a drink (the cocoa milk) and 2 mini-sides (the salad and gummy candies). Anything else is charged extra.
Health rating: 3/10
Price: 1.42 quid (that's 2.25 american dollars. sorry I could not put the pound sign, my keyboard is not international)
Pieces of hair: 0
Veggies: I took a salad, that's about 5/10, 14 mouthfuls.


Miranda I have no idea what gummies are but I am glad you like them! What is very different is I think you bin your tray and fork where as ours get washed. Do you recycle them?

It's sports day tomorrow and I hope tomorrow's lunch is as good as today's as we are racing all afternoon!

VEG

It happened today! As we lined up for lunch we were officially told that we are all allowed as much salad, fruit and bread as we want and that we had always been able to.....well my friends and I never knew that. It must have been a well kept secret. Everyone is really happy about the news now. We can have fruit and a dessert, fruit if you have a starter and both salad and veg! It's much clearer.

People have been asking about the bands we wear so here is today's,

Our teachers get given the bands during the morning and then we get given them just before lunch. They are comfy and you don't really notice them.

I wanted to avoid the fish and chips today so I chose the tomato pasta with peas but I couldn't resist some pineapple again from the salads. I don't think pineapple goes with the pasta, or maybe the pasta doesn't go with the pineapple if you see what I mean!

Food-o-meter- 5/10
Mouthfuls- 30
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

I'd like to thank Katie who taught in NanNing, GuangXi province, China (21 seconds, its near the Vietnam border) for this photo,

It is soup and pork with rice and cost 8 Renminbi about £0.80 which I thnk is really good value. We are not allowed fizzy drinks in Scotland but the drink cost 2.5 Renminbi, 25 pence.

Please keep sending your photos to neverseconds@gmail.com I love them!

VEG

Things don't always go right. I know this because I still fall off my bike, not often but it does happen when I am trying something really tricky. Today the menu ordering system was so confusing it went wrong. I ordered an enchilada but I got a sausage and bean pitta pocket.

One pineapple ring didn't even make it to the table, I ate it on the way! Inside the pitta bread are baked beans and mini sausages. It's quite difficult to eat because it all falls out as you pick it up! I'm not a fan of sweet milkshakes and mine today wasn't sweet, or chocolatey. The cupcakes today were all iced with strawberry icing and I liked that off first!

Food-o-meter- 5/10
Mouthfuls- 29 not including cake licking
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Over to Mr Rettele's 4th grade class from Spokane, Washington, in the United States (19 seconds!) I think I am a 5th grader but I am not sure. The class have done a critic of their lunch.

'Chef Salad Lunch -
We had a crunchy salad consisting of lettuce, cabbage, turkey, ham, cheese, tomato, cucumbers, radishes and carrots. On the side we were able to have peaches, kiwi, cauliflower and pickles. We have milk everyday - your choice of chocolate, strawberry or white (which is boring). For desert we were given fruit snacks. The vegetables were crispy and full of juice.'

Thank you guys from Room 201 at Arlington Elementary School! The food looks scrumptious, white milk is boring but I see you have more compartments on your tray!

VEG

Two, no three, no four fantastic bits of news today!

Whilst I was having my tea my blog went through 1 million hits! I didn't see it but Wrae sent me a photo showing the counter so I haven't missed out, thank you Wrae. When I started writing this I thought only my family and friends would see it so it's amazing so many people have visited and you all care about school food.

My second bit of news is that Dad and I have been invited to a meeting organised by a famous Scottish chef called Nick Nairn. He's invited loads of important people and us to discuss school food and school cooking lessons. I'm really looking forward to meeting him if I can go.

I almost forgot to take a photo today and I had a bite of my burger before I remembered so I turned it around so you can't see it! I had yellow and red peppers, cucumber and roast potatoes. The roast potatoes taste different to the ones at home, My roast potatoes today tasted more like mash. The weather was so nice we were allowed to take our lollies outside.

Food-o-meter- 6/10
Mouthfuls- I lost count when I started licking the lolly
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Jamie has sent me a photo of a school meal from Yokohama, Japan (33 seconds!)

I only recognise the asparagus, if it is asparagus! Jamie explains,

'I think this one was my favourite, and it had a container of white rice on the side. From the top left and going clockwise, it had:

- pickled daikon radish and sour plum
- steamed sliced okra
- konnyaku jelly (the grey lumpy bits - a high fibre chewy food made from the devil tongue plant. Not much flavour on its own but picks up sauces well) and a chewy rice dumpling thing
- green beans and carrots and garlic
- white fish (mackerel, I think) wrapped in a leaf and steamed
- vegetables and egg cooked with a soy glaze

Taste 8/10
Healthiness 8/10
Price 450 yen (£3.61)'

I recognise the green beans and carrots now! There are so many things I have never tasted.


My last two bits of news? I went to the Dentist and need no fillings again and Mum and Dad came back proud from Parent's Evening at school.

What a day!

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I had a really cool morning at school making a comic strip for the ancient Olympics. I read loads of fact sheets and did you know in wrestling that you were not allowed to bite but you were allowed to break your opponent's fingers! We don't do wrestling in PE. I'm glad!

I decided to try something new today and I chose the vegetable spring rolls from the menu. They came with sticky rice which was amazing because it stuck to itself but not to my fork. My soup today must be the best soup in the world. It was chicken noodle soup and the noodles melt in your mouth. My dad thought I was drinking coffee with my lunch but it was really chocolate milkshake. I don't think I will have spring rolls again but I will always have the soup! I am still not sure if I could have had fruit today because I had a starter. I will ask a teacher tomorrow.

Food-o-meter- 3/10
Mouthfuls- 20, because I didn't finish the rolls
Courses- starter/main
Health Rating- 5/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Yellow

Today I have been sent lots of photos from America. This one was sent in by Kimberley who works in the Glenview school district, near Chicago, Illinois. Dad timed me to find Chicago on the globe and it took me 48 seconds but it was not fair as I was looking for it spelt SHicargo.

I would have chosen Glenview food over mine today and eaten everything!


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Today was an orange day! After my teacher did the register this morning he read out the menu choices and we all had to choose. I was given my orange wristband at lunchtime after I had washed my hands. This means I had ordered lamb meatballs and I think the system is so that no one can change their mind. I think the wristbands are a good idea because it was annoying when the food ran out.

The meatballs tasted like meatballs, not lamb, if you know what I mean! I can't remember what the gravy tasted like but it was good mixed with the mash potato. We've not had these yoghurts before but the toffee flavour was lovely even though it tasted of oranges. Told you it was an orange day!

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- 30, I cut the meatballs in half
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0
Wristband- Orange

Not everyone has school dinners and a lot of children bring packed lunches. This packed lunch has been sent in by 6yr old Lily's mum and it's all home made including the bread for the sandwich! I like the look of banana muffin and all the fruit and its all in a really clever looking box.

I wonder what colour wristband I'll wear tomorrow. I hope you noticed the new category!

VEG

I totally forgot for half the morning then at lunchtime it came right to my head to tell my friends they are allowed as much salad, bread and fruit as they like. I told them to spread it around the school quickly because no one had gone around the classes and told them. I was a bit nervous to ask but I did ask for more peas!

I chose a Chicken grill which on the old menu was called a chicken burger but it is exactly the same. With it I had chips which means it must be Friday and you can see my extra peas! One of my peas was black, I had a black eyed pea! If you look closely its the one in the middle. I love the sticky gooey icing the school puts on its sponges.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 44, I left the black pea
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

Last year my friends and I started a club, which the school let us run, called Charity Children. We raised money for Mary's Meals. In our first sale we raised £70 in three hours which is enough to feed 7 children school lunches for a WHOLE YEAR! A lot of kids go to school everyday just for the food. Each lunch costs 6p to make.

This is Liberia. It's rice, fish and vegetables. I hope they are eating the meals we paid for.


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My Dad met the council today and its official that we are allowed unlimited salads, fruit and bread! I'm really happy that all of my friends can help themselves to good stuff. This is the message that Jamie Oliver wrote in his Jamie's Great Britain book which he kindly sent to me,

Thanks Jamie, I do intend to keep it up!

Today my lunch was baked potato and cheese. I was given an overload of salad and with the potato it really filled me up and it was hard to finish. The brownie is definitely better than Dads as it has sticky chocolate icing on it. It is crumbs in the photo by the cake, not flies.

Food-o-meter- 6/10
Mouthfuls- 48 (didn't quite finish the salad)
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 9/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

Today my blog has become massive in Taiwan and here is a picture sent in by Annie from Taiwan.

She says it is a normal lunch. I don't recognise all the foods but it looks very colourful and tasty!

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to dipping lots of bread in my soup if its on the menu.

VEG

The new things from yesterday, the radishes, the mini tomatoes and the shreddings weren't to be seen today. Maybe it was just because my class was last in the queue and I was the last in the school to be served. I was looking forward to the radishes because I have not had one for a while.

If soup is on and some sort of cake and you are having some sort of roll, wrap or sandwich you are allowed to have soup and a cake. The soup today was potato and leek. I really like all the school's soups. My roll was white bread with butter and grated cheese. I am not sure what cheese it is. I had cucumber and lettuce with it. Normally all the cakes are iced but today we had a choice of iced or not. I chose iced!

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 29
Courses- starter/main/dessert
Health Rating- 7/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

I need more time to understand the band system for ordering, more on that tomorrow. Please can you send in your pics and ratings for your school lunches to NeverSeconds@gmail.com . I'm really keen to compare yours with mine.

VEG

Today was very different at lunchtime. Dad had already told me beforehand that some people from the Council were coming to lunch with a reporter from our local paper. There was also a new system for ordering food which I'll explain when I understand it more. I didn't see the visitors having lunch but I saw them hovering about and watching us getting served.

For the first time ever I have seen at lunch cherry tomatoes, radishes, carrot and cucumber shreddings. I didn't see any watercress but I may have missed it. I chose macaroni cheese, mashed potato, cucumber and peppers. The macaroni cheese is always good but I could always eat more. I was asked today for the first time, 'Is that enough for you?'. For my dessert I had red jelly which tasted of strawberries. I liked most of the changes and I hope it will be the same tomorrow.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 33, I took a pad and my pen ran out but I remembered!
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

Thank you for all your pictures. Today's is from Pol Elia from Spain. I like the way the the veg is mixed in with the stew. Ours always come seperately.

Pol Elia's ratings are,

Food-o-meter- 7/10
Health Rating- 5/10
Price- €2.06, which is £1.64
Pices of hair- 1


Tomorrow I will remember to look for the watercress!

VEG

PS some people cannot access the BBC iPlayer but the interview is here.

Last Thursday I went to a small radio studio in Oban and recorded an interview with a BBC radio programme. It was played today and it is very strange listening to your own voice. I talked about my blog and my lunches. 325,000 people have visited the blog now. I am still catching up with your comments. Thank you for sending them all.

Today I had vegetable soup and sausages with roast potatoes and salad. The lady on the radio said I had a choice everyday of mini tomatoes and watercress, but I have never seen them. My soup tasted of mainly carrot but i am not sure. I had three wee roast potatoes which were a bit small and the sausages are very different to the ones I get at home. They are very crispy on the outside and the texture is like a baked potato.

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- I must take a pad to keep tally!
Courses- starter/main
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 1 (under the cucumber)

I'd really like it if other people could send in their photos of their school dinners and rate them the way I do. I'll put them on my blog. Please send them to NeverSeconds@gmail.com


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Big news, I have gone viral! 105,000 people have visited my blog and thanks to all of you. Even bigger news my dad got a tweet from Jamie Oliver!

"Shocking but inspirational blog. Keep going, Big love from Jamie x"

I am really glad he looked in and it has put a smile on my face. I was a bit nervous going to school but everyone was great and I'm glad I haven't upset anybody.

I love Mexican food and today's Chicken Fajita was very nice and enjoyable. It was stuffed with salsa and chicken and served with garlic bread. I got sent back for salad as I missed it first time round!

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- forgot to write on hand, forgot to count.
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 6/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- none, not even one of mine.

Looking forward to tomorrow's menu,

VEG

When I got up this morning Dad told me my blog had 25000 hits so I thought I'd better not forget to count my mouthfuls!

There was an 's' on my thumb but it rubbed off! My photo is a wee bit dark, I've mastered the computer but not my camera!

Today's dinner was carrot and coriander soup followed by mince pasta. I did remember my mouthfuls but as the soup was so hot I burnt my mouth and had to take many little sips! The soup was brilliant. We don't have Carrot and coriander soup very often but its the first time I've tried it and I love it! The mince pasta was the same as spaghetti bolognese but with different shaped pasta and more sweetcorn than last time. I dont know why they call it mince pasta and not just spagbol!

Food-o-meter- 8/10
Mouthfuls- 64 small hot ones
Courses- starter/main
Health Rating- 5/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- still in the clear

My blog has had 42000 hits now and I hope one of them was Jamie Oliver!

VEG

Tuesday 8th May

I'm back! Many camera failures have stopped me blogging but Dad said I could borrow his camera. I think he's quite shocked at the pictures though.

The first pic is from last week and the second from today. The pizza in the first pic was alright but I'd have enjoyed more than 1 croquet. I'm a growing kid and I need to concentrate all afternoon and I cant do it on 1 croquette. Do any of you think you could?

Food-o-meter- 6/10
Mouthfuls- forgot to count but not enough!
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0!

Today's meal was on the menu as Cheeseburger and ice cream/biscuit but as you can see I got an ice lolly. I prefer ice cream. I wish they had stuck to the menu. I did get 2 croquettes though only 3 pieces of cucumber when I said no thanks to the peas.

Food-o-meter- 7/10
Mouthfuls- eating and counting and chatting to friends is hard!
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 2/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0!

The good thing about this blog is Dad understands why I am hungry when I get home. Today he made a Banana Loaf, shame I don't like bananas, see I am not perfect!

VEG