School-provided lunches have existed in the US for about 130 years, if you count the early days when private welfare groups handled the gig. School lunches have never been paused since they started, but the impetus for providing them has varied widely. (And they’re the reason “white people food is bland” is such a compelling concept.)
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Sources:
National Education Association
US Government Accountability Office (PDF)
School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America’s Favorite Welfare Program
97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement
Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet
Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in America
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