When I started school was the early 1960's. We lived on the next block, so I went home for lunch until maybe 2nd or 3rd grade. Had no idea how it worked, so just followed the others in line the first time.
Back then they had real cooks and made everything from scratch. It was probably better than what my Mom fed me at home for lunch. So I continued eating at school. Those ladies got there early AM and started cooking. Homemade pizza cut in squares, I always went back for seconds. We never made pizza at home. Chili, turkey, sea dogs, meatloaf and all the other stuff was cooked in the school kitchen. Milk came in glass bottles. Couple of the cooks belonged to our local church. Every few years, the church would make a cook book from the local recipes. I still have one dated 1970. Those cooks always shared recipes from themselves and other local people. Still my favorite cook book.
My Grandma was the main church organist and taught me how to play as a kid. I would fill in, if she could not attend. They gave us free cookbooks for pay...LOL!
I would never complain about our school food, it was good! My Granddaughter graduated last year. Said the school food was junk, just heat up frozen processed food. She took a cooler most days with her own lunch, said it was too nasty to eat.
Any other old timers remember good school lunches?