Other|Food

What Was The Best School Lunch Item In The ‘90s?

Samantha Dillinger
Updated July 3, 2024 44.1K views 23 items
Ranked By
50.5K votes
4.7K voters
Voting Rules
Vote up the lunch items that really made your day as a youngster.

School lunch in the '90s was notoriously not nutritious, yet kids loved taco Tuesdays, rectangle pizzas, and prepackaged burritos. The best '90s school lunch item was somewhere between nachos and Minute Maid juice bars; foods you probably wouldn't eat as an adult but that once defined your favorite day of the week. 

Although school lunches have become progressively healthier over the years, with powerful advocates working hard to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as affordable hot meals and desserts, it doesn't change the fact that '90s kids still fondly remember unwrapping their buddy burgers with a tray of smiley fries and an ice cream cup.  

  • Square Pizza
    1
    2,853 votes

    Square Pizza

  • Ice Cream Cups
    2
    2,280 votes

    Ice Cream Cups

  • Tater Tots
    3
    2,316 votes

    Tater Tots

  • Chocolate Milk
    4
    2,216 votes

    Chocolate Milk

  • Chicken Nuggets
    5
    2,088 votes

    Chicken Nuggets

  • Juice Bars
    6
    2,096 votes

    Juice Bars

  • French Toast Sticks
    7
    2,010 votes

    French Toast Sticks

  • Chicken Patty Sandwich
    8
    2,064 votes

    Chicken Patty Sandwich

  • Hamburger
    9
    1,965 votes

    Hamburger

  • Nachos
    10
    1,791 votes

    Nachos

  • Corn Dog
    11
    1,776 votes

    Corn Dog

  • Tacos
    12
    1,738 votes

    Tacos

  • Turkey And Mashed Potatoes
    13
    1,758 votes

    Turkey And Mashed Potatoes

  • Sloppy Joe's
    14
    1,727 votes

    Sloppy Joe's

  • Smiley Fries
    15
    1,635 votes

    Smiley Fries

  • Peanut Butter And Jelly
    16
    1,533 votes

    Peanut Butter And Jelly

  • Fruit Cups
    17
    1,480 votes

    Fruit Cups

  • Spaghetti
    18
    1,509 votes

    Spaghetti

  • Grilled Cheese
    19
    1,459 votes

    Grilled Cheese

  • Meatball Sub
    20
    1,408 votes

    Meatball Sub

  • Bean And Cheese Burrito
    21
    1,373 votes

    Bean And Cheese Burrito

  • Fish Sticks
    22
    1,416 votes

    Fish Sticks

  • Pasta Shells
    23
    1,298 votes

    Pasta Shells