11 Photos of School Lunch Menus Over the Years
School has changed a lot over the last several decades, and one of the biggest differences is in the cafeteria. In the 1960s, everything was from scratch, and the options were plentiful. Today, menu items mostly consist of hot dogs, grilled cheese, and pizza.
These school lunch menus from decades past are a prime example of how far we’ve come from our roots.
1. So Descriptive!
This menu laid everything out with no gray areas for the kids who weren’t sure if they wanted school lunch or sack lunch. The baked beans were zesty. The green beans were seasoned. The chips were crunchy, and the rice, corn, and peas were buttered.
2. Simpler Times
This 1969 school lunch menu was simple and came out one week at a time, so it wasn’t information overload. We’re dying to know what topping came with the pudding, though.
3. Steak … Fingers … ?
There are some questionable things here beyond steak fingers. Snowflake potatoes? Jell-O jewels? We have to say, though, chocolate raspberry taquitos and rocky road mousse sound intriguing.
4. Sharing Recipes
When your school lunch food is so good, your mom reaches out to the cafeteria staff to request recipes. 1974 was the real deal, guys.
5. The Options Are Astounding
Paragraphs of food every day on this school lunch menu. The first day alone included four main dish options, six sides, and two different desserts.
6. Bread and Butter Was an Elite Side
Bread and butter was a staple side dish in the ’90s — so much so that this menu from 1990 cast aside the standard garlic bread that accompanies spaghetti and swapped it for bread and butter.
7. So Much Autonomy
Cook’s choice two days out of the month and students’ choice one day too? We love to see it.
8. Phrasing Choices Were Made
Spaghetti Meat? Hot Buttered Cornbread? Barbecue on Bun? Lettuce Salad? Alrighty then.
9. That’s Some Painful Spelling …
Pet peeve: when “os” or “o-” ending words are misspelled with an “e” added in. This menu is guilty of that several times over.
10. Made With Love
Is it just us or does this menu read like there was a ton of care put into creating the food lineup? The lunch ladies of 1965 were busy putting together four-course meals, including things like warm gingerbread, homemade garlic bread, and buttered 7-minute cabbage.
11. Some Things Just Don’t Go Together
Chicken chow mein with cabbage-apple salad and a peanut butter sandwich just does not sound appealing from a school cafeteria.
Want to dive into more nostalgia?
Don’t miss 10 School Items Every Middle-Class Kid Had in the ’90s. You should also check out 10 Family Traditions From the ’70s That Have Disappeared and 10 Photos That Capture the American Workplace in the 1970s.