That all sounds very wholesome, but based on what I've seen, reality is pretty different. That commercial baby food you mentioned seems to avoid salt entirely and make up for it with gobs of sugar. Snacks for kids like tamago boro are little puffs of sugar and starch.
I'll readily grant that the universal free school food is a huge improvement on the US swill, although this too has its share on unhealthy practices: mandating that everything served has to be eaten whether you're hungry or not or you like it or not (kids are regularly told that sukikirai, liking/hating foods, is not allowed), and the mandatory milk & milk bun for that sugar kick. At least whale meat has become too expensive to feature regularly anymore.
I'll readily grant that the universal free school food is a huge improvement on the US swill, although this too has its share on unhealthy practices: mandating that everything served has to be eaten whether you're hungry or not or you like it or not (kids are regularly told that sukikirai, liking/hating foods, is not allowed), and the mandatory milk & milk bun for that sugar kick. At least whale meat has become too expensive to feature regularly anymore.