What School Lunch Looked Like Each Decade Since 1900

(via Mental Floss) At the turn of the 20th century, school lunch as we know it didn’t exist. Most children went home for their meal; if they had a few cents in their pocket, they bought a less-than-healthy treat from a street vendor. In the decades that followed, the forces of business, public health, and politics would transform school lunches into a communal experience filled with adolescent power struggles, branded lunch boxes, and heaping portions of mystery meat. Here’s how the midday meal has evolved through the years.