Back in the late 60s, during my junior high years (grades 7-9), was the only time I attended a school that had a cafeteria. For 35 cents, you got an entrée, veg, fruit/dessert, rolls (fresh-baked and the main reason to eat lunch), and milk. I always ate just fine and those pictures don’t hold a candle to what I received. It’s a sad commentary that we’ve backed up so far in the intervening years.
From K-8 we had sack lunches we brought from home, ate at our desks, school furnished a half pint of whole milk for 15 cents a day. Then we went out to the playground for 45 mins. Gym if weather was bad.
HS I still carried that bologna sandwich, and bought milk and chips 25cents. Another 50 cents for the bus ride, no school buses back then. I went to a Vo/Tech HS. The regular HS closer to home, but still to far to walk, did not teach what I wanted to learn.
Same here. We had real lunch ladies that cooked everything. Real meals. Every year every student got 1 chance to work in the cafeteria for a wk and get free lunch. We all looked forward to it because you could eat as much as you wanted. And their desserts were awesome!!!