Whenever a group of adults that I know get together, from time to time the subject of elementary school cafeteria food enters the conversation.

We've now entered the mid-2020s, hard as that is to believe, and, by now, kids are used to their cafeteria experience resembling something like a mall's food court. There are options here; there are options over there. The main thing is that there ARE options.

School Cafeteria Food Back in the Day

Back in the day, we stood in line with are compartment trays and just waited for the lunch ladies to fill them up. Either we ate what they gave us, or we didn't, or we might trade. THOSE were OUR options at Masonville Elementary School and, well, everywhere else. But again, that was a long time ago.

Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
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I think back to the lunch period when I was in grade school, and I'm guessing we didn't have as many students in grades one through five as there are now. I say that because every single student was in that cafeteria at the same time. The teachers were in there, too. I've toured the old school (now a Pentecostal church) since then, and the cafeteria space (it's no longer that) was so SMALL.

Anyway, for your nostalgic enjoyment, I would like to present a list of cafeteria items that made recurring appearances throughout each and every school year. I'd like to have some of those dishes now. Others? Well, there has to be a pig trough SOMEWHERE nearby.

There may be more, but here are my top 11. Grab a fork and dig in.

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Gallery Credit: Dave Spencer

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