Many of the poor then got those 'face saving' treats from their parents to keep them from really feeling bad, and many of us shared our goodies with them. That was before the Great Society of LBJ, and things have changed...
But, even then, hot lunch at school was rarely an epicurean delight, even for our relatively undeveloped palettes (although we all had our favorites). What may be delightful for a more mature diner might be repulsive to a youngster, too, and peer pressure plays no small part in that.
Simple economics demanded most of us bring bag lunches, and we drank 2 cent 1/2 pints of milk, which were subsidized.
If they would just TRY the quinoa salad! It has always been the case that adults have to rather pressure kids to eat things that are good for them. I don’t know how many times my mother said “Oh just try it, for Pete’s sake, it isn’t going to kill you!” Because left to my own devices, I’d have lived on cinnamon PopTarts and PB&J.