The wild, natural north French coast-with its endless white beaches-is where we prefer to spend our summer holidays. But many French sun-seekers head south every summer…causing those legendary traffic jams along the Côte d’Azur.

One of my favorite coastal spots is Antibes-Juan les Pins, nestled in between Nice and Cannes, on the dramatic Cape of Antibes (a strategic spot since at least Roman times). Despite the nightlife, Antibes is still charming (unlike many of the other spots along the Med), mostly because the old town on the peninsula has been wonderfully preserved.

So, what are children in Antibes eating this week?

Monday, November 28th
Green bean salad
Tartiflette (a cheese/potato dish) with smoked bacon and breadcrumb topping
Cheese
Seasonal fresh fruit

Tuesday, November 29th
Green salad ‘chiffonnade’ (your guess is as good as mine!)
Meatballs in tomato sauce, with home-made french fries
Yogurt or other dairy product

Wednesday, November 30th
Brunoise (diced, herbed) tomatoes and Emmental cheese
Filet of sole, with fennel, carrots, tomatoes
Pastry

Thursday, December 1st
Old-style turnips in vinaigrette
Sweet and Sour Lamb, vegetables, couscous
Crème brûlée

Friday, December 2nd
Creamy soup (velouté) of pumpkin and chestnuts
Organic roast chicken, macaroni with butter
Yogurt or other dairy product

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Makes me reflect on what my daughter and her friends was served at school today (and every Monday): pizza. I think I know where I’d rather she’d be eating.

This blog post is part of my French Kids School Lunch Project. Every week, I post the school lunch menus from a different village or town in France, where three-course, freshly-prepared hot lunches are provided to over 6 million children in the public school system every day. These meals cost, on average, $3 per child per day (and prices for low-income families are subsidised). My hope is that these menus (together with my other blog posts about the French approach to kid’s food) will spark a conversation about what children CAN eat, and how we can do better at educating them to eat well.