We couldn’t buy Tic-Tacs in school during my time, either. The late 60s-early 70s. But we had the most wonderful lunches - the smell that came out of the cafeteria made some of us who had small breakfasts absolutely crazy! I don’t think we had soda, either, although my memory is hazy about that. Milk, I think, or water. And we were all so thin as well...
My Gym class was during the first lunch period, so I'd stop and get me a soft pretzel and a chocolate milk.
Gym was an hour, then I'd stay another hour and either run or lift.
Then I'd go to lunch. My favorites were either turkey tetrazzini or the open face turkey samich w/ mashed potatoes and gravy. The pizza was pretty good also. I'd always get a full lunch and something extra and usually dessert and always 4-6 cartons of chocolate milk.
On days that they had 2 of my favorites, I'd get 2 full lunches. (I usually had 2 trays of food anyway)
The lunch ladies knew what I liked, so on things like desserts or chocolate milk, they'd hold things in back for me, when they were getting low.
During this school lunch garbage, I've wondered what lunches that I enjoyed, would I no longer be able to get. I do know the chocolate cream pie or banana cream pie for dessert, would be off the menu.
(By the way, for all that eating, I was 5'-11", 185# with a body fat percentage of between 8-10%. I was eating everything in sight [at school and home] and couldn't gain anymore weight)
(that's all caught up to me now)