In some rural communities, children would bring food from home or, if their teacher was industrious, bring ingredients for a communal stew cooked over a kettle. Private companies, eager for a slice of the action, began contracting with school districts. Eventually there was more emphasis on healthy, protein-rich lunches, and Every state had a federally funded school lunch program in place using crop surpluses, but there were problems: Much of the crops rotted en route, or couldn't be properly stored when they arrived. On Note: Cheapism does not accept or publish guest blog postsCheapism’s independent editorial team finds the best for less.

Coronavirus and school lunches:Free school lunch programs face terrible choice: ... a food that has been a staple in American school breakfast and lunches for decades. By the early 1940s, every U.S. state had federally supported lunch programs in place. The Kansas State Department of Education announces the participation of all Kansas school districts and many private schools in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Program.

If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission to support our work.Cheapism may earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site. In some rural communities, children would bring food from home or, if their teacher was industrious, bring ingredients for a communal stew cooked over a kettle. Rather than try to imitate fast food, in the '90s many schools simply let fast food operators into their cafeterias.



By 1946 enough was known about kids' needs that the National School Lunch Act passed, mandating that each state be provided with funding to buy, store, and prepare food for lunches: by now, menus such as chipped beef, boiled vegetables, stewed fruits, and rolled oats. Below is a photographic trip through school lunch history, beginning around 1905. 1900s A hot lunch being prepared and served in a Benton County school, Oregon, circa 1905 Getty



By the 1990s salad bars, made-to-order deli counters and ethnic specialities presented Home economics classes began having girls prepare lunches as part of their curriculum — a first glimpse of what would become a school cafeteria and kitchen.

In New York’s central facility, 100 workers each produced 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches per hour, while dozens of vats hard-boiled eggs en masse.

In the decades that followed, the forces of business, public health, and politics would transform school lunches into a communal experience filled with adolescent power struggles, branded lunch boxes, and heaping portions of mystery meat. By 1946 enough was known about kids' needs that the Enter the school lunch boom. Foods once considered ethnic, like pizza, enchiladas, and chili con carne, made their way onto school menus. INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES, SCHOOL YEAR 2017 … The price to buy a lunch at school was up to 15 cents.

The vast majority of children in the early 1900s went home for lunch. There is a missing decade because there were no pictures freely available. Impressed with the efficiency and popularity of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s, schools put hamburgers, French fries, and other greasy fare on their menus.

By 1912, more than 40 cities across the U.S. offered programs through groups like the



Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains didn’t stand a chance against the rising tide of fast food.

Meals cost anywhere from a penny to three cents — something like a stew, soup, or rice, along with a piece of bread and maybe an apple or stewed prunes. Schools began setting up full cafeterias, and companies began seeing opportunity, seeking contracts for a slice of the pie.

World War II meant less funding, and there were fewer workers to keep programs going.
Here’s how the midday meal has evolved through the years. For their subsidized lunches, schools increasingly turned to foodservice companies like Marriott and Sodexo. The vast majority of children in the early 1900s went home for lunch. Many school districts centralized their lunch production.

In an editorial, In cities like Boston and Philadelphia, organizations like the

Elementary school c…

Federal government standards allowed McDonald’s, Little Caesar’s, Chick-fil-A, and others to set up shop. A hundred years ago, school lunch as we know it didn’t exist.

This meant more students with hot lunches, and helped farmers tremendously — but the results were not always balanced. In the wake of the Great Depression, the federal government Grilled chicken, fresh fruit, and vegetables became more common. Vice-President Al Gore visits a middle school cafeteria in 2000.

Butter sandwiches, pork, and seasonal items graced plates. At the same time, national attention turned to the millions of needy schoolchildren who still didn’t receive federally funded lunches.

In cities like Boston and Philadelphia, organizations like the Women's Education and Industrial Unionbegan providing meals for schoolchildren.

The emphasis on providing a "hot lunch" took hold during this era. A 1974 Local school officials have adopted the following household income guidelines for determining eligibility for Child Nutrition Program benefits. After the war, Congress passed the

As more and more parents took jobs in factories and elsewhere outside the home, many children were left without food options.
Feeding the baby boom meant school districts had to ramp up production in a big way.

Lunch bags and boxes, meanwhile,