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The USDA just passed new school lunch guidelines a couple of weeks ago, and people are ecstatic. While there were some real setbacks (like the whole pizza is a vegetable thing) overall it’s a huge improvement and Mark Bittman at the New York Times breaks down what it all means. I haven’t thought about — let alone eaten — a school lunch in years, but reading all the hoo-hah about it made me wonder, “What’re the kids eating these days?” So I thought I’d treat blog readers to a photo tour of the state of school lunches today.

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It is a crusty thing. And a waffle. And that is probably a peach but
maybe a weird spider egg?

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It’s a vegetable plate! Potatoes and tomatoes. I mean: tater tots and ketchup.

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Oops, that’s a prison lunch.

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Sorry, prison lunch again.

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There we go – back to school lunch.

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Either it’s worms or it’s spaghetti. And garlic white bread!

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For a comparison between American school lunches and overseas school lunches, check out this blog. Spoiler Alert: American school lunches are don’t come out looking too good.

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But nothing beats this photo essay over on Holy Taco. For some unknown reason, a school in Harrisonburg, VA started posting truly terrifying photos of their scary school lunches, each given a “hip” nickname. Go feast your eyes (and try to keep down your own lunch) on pictures of Italian Dunkers, Chicken Fryz and Taco Patties.

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School lunch, I don’t really miss you at all.

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