12 School Lunches You Either Loved or Hated in the ’70s
From mystery meat to mashed potatoes, these ’70s school lunches were either a dream or a total lunchtime nightmare.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
School lunches in the 1970s were a wild ride of flavors, textures, and questionable food choices. Some kids looked forward to them like mini holidays, others traded them under the table or tossed them in the trash. Whether you were a fan or a food fighter, these 12 lunches definitely left a mark.
1. Sloppy Joes
jeffreyw on Wikimedia Commons
A pile of ground beef drowning in sweet tomato sauce slapped onto a soggy hamburger bun. It was either the best mess you ever ate or a red-stained regret. Some kids loved how saucy and hearty it was, while others couldn’t get past the name. One bite, and you either smiled or reached for your napkin in horror.
2. Fish Sticks
Peter Lindberg on Wikimedia Commons
Golden brown on the outside, suspiciously soft on the inside. You could smell them halfway down the hallway before lunch even started. If you dipped them in enough tartar sauce, they were edible. Otherwise, they were just bland, fishy rectangles of confusion.
3. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Choo Yut Shing on Wikimedia Commons
The sauce was always a little too orange, and the noodles were definitely overcooked. However, it was warm and kind of comforting. Kids would swirl it around their trays like they were in Lady and the Tramp. Others poked it with a fork, wondering why it jiggled.
4. Salisbury Steak
Bengt B on Wikimedia Commons
A flat meat patty pretending to be fancy, drenched in brown gravy. Sometimes, it came with mashed potatoes, which only made the tray soggier. The flavor wasn’t terrible, but it was never fully clear what kind of meat it was. It was the lunch that made you shrug and say, “It’s… fine.”
5. Pizza Squares
Missvain on Wikimedia Commons
Not slices—squares. Thick crust, rubbery cheese, and mystery meat crumbles on top. Some kids LIVED for pizza day, while others swore it tasted like cardboard with marinara. Still, there was something magical about that square shape that made it feel like a treat.
6. Tater Tots
Major Small on Wikimedia Commons
Golden, crispy, and basically the royalty of the lunch tray. If the cooks got them right, they were pure joy—crunchy on the outside, soft inside. If they were undercooked, they turned into sad, pale potato mush. Kids would trade their desserts just to get a few extras.
7. Bologna Sandwiches
Diderot’s dreams on Wikimedia Commons
Served cold, with a single slice of bologna flopping between two white bread slices. Occasionally, there was a sad squiggle of mustard or mayo. It was the king of uninspired lunches—and you either loved the simplicity or considered it sandwich sabotage. The bologna had that weird rainbow shine, too.
8. Macaroni and Cheese
Sumeet Jain on Wikimedia Commons
Bright orange and gloopy, but somehow totally comforting. It was the food equivalent of a warm blanket on a cold day. Unless it was overcooked—then it was more like cheesy baby food. Still, a classic you could count on to fill you up.
9. Hot Dogs
Horacio Cambeiro on Wikimedia Commons
Usually boiled into rubbery submission and served on a limp bun. Ketchup was your only defense. Some kids didn’t mind—it was a hot dog, after all. Others just peeled it apart out of boredom.
10. Jell-O Cups
Steven Depolo on Wikimedia Commons
Sometimes red, sometimes green, it was always weirdly wobbly, and a spoonful would jiggle for days. Occasionally, bits of canned fruit were suspended inside, like treasure in gelatin. Some loved the fun texture, while others said it was like eating flavored rubber.
11. Chocolate Pudding
GeeJo on Wikimedia Commons
It was served in little plastic cups, and if it sat too long, it would have a thick skin on top. It was sweet and creamy. It was the highlight of many trays. Some kids would swirl it with whipped topping, while others just went in face first. It was definitely a top-tier dessert.
12. Mystery Casserole
Jon Sullivan on Wikimedia Commons
Was it tuna? Was it chicken? Did it come from outer space? Nobody knew, and nobody asked. It was always beige, always hot, and always slightly unsettling. Some brave souls actually liked it—everyone else just poked at it and hoped for extra tots.