For perspective: I come from a country where “cafeteria” food at school is good and affordable (most is less than the equivalent of 5-10 USD max and it’s not slop, it’s actual food), but it’s not an obligation for everyone since it’s up to the student if they want to buy something or bring their own lunch.
The “cafeteria” in my school isn’t a typical American one, rather it’s closer to a canteen where they sell food you can purchase from cup noodles, fried stuff, sandwiches, baked goods, etc. also appliances like a kettle or microwave are available in the dining hall for students to heat up left overs if they wanted.
The thing I tend to notice from American schools (according to US movies, there’s bias whether it’s true or false) is that they tend to depict kids always heading for the cafeteria for recess or lunch picking up whats available instead of bringing their own food from home (left overs from dinner), why is that the case?
Can confirm, while my parents never let my sister and I go without something for dinner, sometimes they didn’t eat and often it was sandwiches.
School lunch was both the biggest meal I usually got and the only one my family didn’t have to pay for. (my school had subsidized and free lunches depending on financial situation)
And thanks to republicunts in my area, most local schools are prohibited by local laws from offering free lunches now. As a result, the school I went to now has 1 cent lunches since it HAS to be paid for, and they leave a jar of pennies by the register so you can take one and hand it to them. And the MAGAts pat themselves on the back for taking food from literal children.