Why Are U.S. School Lunches Like This?

School-provided lunches have existed in the US for about 130 years, if you count the early days when private welfare groups handled the gig. School lunches have never been paused since they started, but the impetus for providing them has varied widely. (And they're the reason "white people food is bland" is such a compelling concept.) Listen to Smart Mouth: iTunes • Google Podcasts • Stitcher • Spotify • RadioPublic • TuneIn • Libsyn Check out all our episodes so far here. If you like, pledge a buck or two on Patreon. Smart Mouth newsletter Smart Mouth IG Useful Smart Mouth merch! Use code shipshiphooray! for free shipping. Sources: Foodtimeline.org  New York Times  Pacific Standard magazine  National Education Association  US Government Accountability Office (PDF) School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America's Favorite Welfare Program  97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement  Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet  Feeding the Family  The American and His Food  Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in America  Related Episodes/Articles: Breadlines and Famines with Jeremy Bowditch The Settlement Cook Book Prison Food with Danny Trejo Music: Dead Kennedys - A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch  Check out: Gayest Episode Ever