Are You Seriously Going To Let The Babies Starve?

The fight over school lunches is a story as America

The Wild History of School Lunches

Enjoying your lunch break?

While you nibble, let’s take a wild ride through the chaotic, often bizarre history of school lunches in America—a journey marked by hunger, reform, and a desperate race for proper nutrition.

The most important thing to remember is - feeding the children a healthy meal during the school day is a matter of national security. Just ask Harry S. Truman and The American Security Project. It has the added benefit of being the moral thing to do.

Early Beginnings: The Feeders

In the early 19th century. Kids were showing up for class with empty stomachs. In 1853, the Children’s Aid Society of New York decided to take matters into their own hands by providing substance to malnourished students. We wouldn’t call it a proper meal today but it was enough to keep the wee ones from fainting in history class.

To give you some perspective, Millard Fillmore was President. Remember that dude? It’s okay, nobody does. In general, 1853 was a grand year. If you were a white man, I mean. Oregon split in two and created Washington. Levi’s and potato chips were invented. And the Gold Rush was in full swing.

New York Children’s Aid Society

The Great Depression: A Hungry Nation

Flash forward to the Great Depression. America was in chaos, and so was our food food supply. Think Pandemic Supply Chain troubles on steroids. People were starving and the government had to step-in. Soup kitchens sprung up as did full-blown School Lunch Programs. America needs those kids to be fit enough to defeat monstrous men should they arise (spoiler alert: arise they do).

“The war is over. Everyone is drunk but happy.”

The Diary of George McGovern, May 8, 1945

The Game Changer: The 1946 National School Lunch Act

As the boys were off to irradicate Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin; President Truman discovered a problem. Too many of America’s bravest were too frail to fight. American children were malnourished. So, in 1946, as the men of the Greatest Generation come home to make little Boomers, Truman pushed Congress to act. It was called the National School Lunch Act and it was passed because Democrats thought it was our obligation to care for kids while they were in school and because Republicans could frame it as a matter of national security. Kinda like the highway system under Eisenhower.

The Act marked the first time the feds took a permanent stand on behalf of hungry children. They roll out nutritional requirements with one aim; Don’t let ‘em starve!

The 70s and 80s: Cabbages and Conflicts

As we tumble into the 1970s and 80s, the lunchroom becomes a battleground. Congress mandates that school must provide hot lunches that comply with new nutritional guidelines. Schools react to this new “balanced calorie count: with overcooked broccoli and mystery meat. Wealthier kids rebel — trading their cafeteria meals for whatever they can sneak from home.

“According to lunchbox super-collector Thad Reece, more than 120 million metal lunch boxes in 450-plus designs were sold between 1950 and 1970 alone.” What kind of lunchbox did you carry? If you still have that 1954 Superman in the attic, you can fetch $13,000 for it.

2010: When Healthy Became Cool

Fast forward to 2010, when the “Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act” hits the scene. Schools were told to serve whole grains and heaps of veggies instead of just cheesy pizza slices. As my dear friend, Tom says, “that ain’t food, that’s what food eats.”

What was your favorite school lunch?

Just in case you don’t think politics matters in real life, let me tell you a story about little Heather. When I was five, I was so excited to go to school. Kindergarten was a half day of playing with friends - Yippy! But it did include a nap, which I protested with all my might. My mother worked so afterschool, I was supposed to head over to the neighbors house where she would feed a room full of brats lunch. It was loud - way too loud for an only child - and she fed us canned Spaghetti O’s and grape Kool-Aid with the full amount of sugar. It was disgusting. So I told the lady I wouldn’t be back and I told my mom it was fun at her house. By the time my mom discovered my ruse, I had been taking care of myself quietly at home for weeks. I never had to deal with that chaos again.

The 21st Century: Serving Up 4.9 Billion Meals

Once again, School lunches are getting a tech upgrade. Schools are swapping lunch tickets for digital orders, tech-savvy lunch systems pushing out kale salads and avo toast. And, according to Food Corps some places - like Oregon, California, and Hawaii - are killing it.

But let’s not pretend everything is rainbows and butterflies. Despite these strides, the challenges continue. Budget cuts are lurking in the shadows, and food insecurity is knocking back at the door. And remember the scrambling to feed kids during the Pandemic? There were meal delivery services and grab ‘n go’s in the school parking lot. You name it, schools tried it all in the name of keeping the babies fed.

Lunch Is More Than Just Food!

Through all the upheavals, school lunches in America have transformed from a desperate measure to structured programs aimed at keeping the future on track. They’re no longer just about slapping some some rectangular pizza on a plate and calling it good.

Let’s face it—kids with full stomachs are more likely to be kids with bright futures and we benefit from that individually and collectively. Schools know the important role they play in nurturing the next generation of thinkers, dreamers, and doers. And, yes, warriors for the next time monsters appear.

So, in November, when you vote, remember the babies.

Remember that Project 2025 details cruel cuts to school lunch programs. Under Project 2025, schools would be prohibited from “grouping together,” which allows smaller school districts to take advantage of bulk purchasing. They would end summer lunch programs unless the child is attending summer school, which is rarely offered on a school campus anymore due to technology advancements. And it would end the Healthy School Meals program.

Then remember -

Project 2025 references Donald J. Trump over 300 times.