Confuse your grandkids, use the term milk nickel: "Would you like a milk nickel?"

[Luanne]

35 cents bought lunch in grammar school in the mid-60s. I lived less than a block from school so I only ate there on hamburger/hot dog days unless my stay-at-home mom had something else going on. By junior high and high school everything was priced individually and you paid for what you wanted. Thinking back, I know there were severely disadvantaged kids in junior high (1967-68), but I don’t know if there were free lunch programs then. One of the things that impressed me during Covid was that families could still pick up free breakfast and lunch, and you could take meals for yourself or grandma too. I have to admit to this news catching my eye because See’s was donating candy from their closed stores to the lunch programs in Los Angeles.

My school lunch experience was the same. I only bought my lunch on hamburger day. One day I goofed up the schedule and bought on a day they had something I didn't like. There was one kid at our table that would eat anything you didn't want, as long as he also got your chocolate pudding. Since you weren't allowed to leave the lunch room until you had finished everything I let him eat it all.

I mostly took my lunch all through school. I know in high school everything was individually priced. I don't remember about junior high.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Lunch was 20 cents in Jr. High and included milk. An additional milk, white or chocolate, was 3 cents.

I don't remember the price of lunch in elementary school because I never bought lunch. I went home for lunch. It was just two blocks. I didn't have to go to recess, either. It was nice to go home for lunch.

 

[clifffaith]

One thing led to another and I wondered what a school lunch costs today. Guess I’ve been living under a rock and/or don’t have kids/grandkids— ALL children get free lunches in CA and seven other states regardless of income eligibility in Federal programs.

 

[rickandcindy23]

One thing led to another and I wondered what a school lunch costs today. Guess I’ve been living under a rock and/or don’t have kids/grandkids— ALL children get free lunches in CA and seven other states regardless of income eligibility in Federal programs.

Colorado is like that, actually, and our grandkids don't take the provided lunch. They all go to school with their lunches. I don't really know why the three of them don't take the school-provided meals, but one granddaughter has Celiac Disease and has to take hers. I guess our daughter-in-law decided to pack her little brother's as well. Our other son's daughter is a picky eater.

 

[TolmiePeak]

One thing led to another and I wondered what a school lunch costs today. Guess I’ve been living under a rock and/or don’t have kids/grandkids— ALL children get free lunches in CA and seven other states regardless of income eligibility in Federal programs.

Same way in Washington State. Was at my daughter's high school 10 years ago on a Friday afternoon and they were making big boxes of food for some students. Found out they were for the homeless students so they wouldn't go hungry over the weekend. Sad. Other students were driving $100k SUVs. Crazy wealth disparity here.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I would expect that many youngsters don't even know what paper money and coins look like. They all pay for stuff with their phones.

 

[jeffox]

Colorado is like that, actually, and our grandkids don't take the provided lunch.

It depends on what the lunch is, we check the menu and my grandson decides home or school lunch.

I too thought this was about the cost of milk at school, never heard of the ice bar. It was a dime for milk in the mid 70s and school lunch was $1 in the 80s and my dad gave me the same $1 a day from 4th grade until I got a job in high school.