Most everyone has experienced the dreaded school cafeteria. A room full of tons of weird smells and slightly dirty tables where loud students sit. If you weren't one of the lucky few to pack their lunch, you were succumbed to the dreaded fare the school had to offer each day. Sometimes it was edible, and other times it was downright vomit-inducing. Here is a (non-comprehensive) list of the best and worst school cafeteria foods.
The Best:
Burritos
Depending on who you asked, the bean burritos served up by the lunch ladies were either awesome or looked like dog food. Most people were able to stomach them though, if there was enough nacho cheese slathered on top. Add to that some salsa and sour cream, and hey, you can't even taste the filling anymore!
Pizza
Ah, the infamous pizza. There were two very specific types of pizza that were the absolute best: stuffed crust and the square pizza. It was so fake and processed, but pizza's pizza and it was better than most anything else offered that day. Bonus points if you were able to avoid the nasty, burnt edge pieces.
Quesadilla
Nobody really knew what was in the quesadillas. It looked like cheese and sauce, but on some days there might have been chicken...who knows. These were a mediocre version of pizza and they obviously came frozen in a box, but with enough condiments, you could scarf these puppies down no problem.
Tater Tots
TATER. TOTS. Do I need to say more? Tots are a gift from God, and if you don't think so, I don't think we can be friends.
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Out of all the ice cream options availble, these were hands down the best. I don't know why they tasted so good, but they did. Anytime I see them now they bring with them a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Sloppy Joe
It really depended on the day to decide if these were going to be good or gross. Who knows if they were really made of beef, but usually they were fairly edible.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
These sandwiches felt like they had an entire stick of butter on each piece of bread, but that's what made them so good. They left your hands feeling disgusting, but it was worth it for just a few minutes of euphoria sinking your teeth into the melting cheese.
The Worst:
Taco Pizza
Just the look of these was vomit-inducing. Half the time they were burnt beyond recognition, but you can't fool us, lunch ladies! We know that characteristic shape and we'll gladly pass it up.
Salad Bar
This was one of those things that was way better in theory. The toppings were pretty bad and there was only ever a few of them. The lettuce was wilted and nothing tasted fresh. Better luck next time!
Nachos
Ground "meat" and nacho "cheese" on top of stale chips. You could get better at a gas station!
BBQ Rib Sandwich
No human in their right mind could eat this entree. It looked, smelled and tasted revolting. Once you tried it, you never got it again.
Hot Dog
Grilled hot dogs are edible, but that is far from what the school offered. School hot dogs were boiled, slightly gray looking and served on a stale bun. Nasty!
Nuggets
Nuggets always sounded like they'd be okay, but they were just so mediocre. They weren't crispy, they were just soggy and floppy. Any amount of sauce couldn't make the nuggets taste any better.
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Ah, the holy grail of nasty cafeteria fare. Nobody wanted these, so they just sat out the whole time students were being served. They looked so repulsive that only a select few even dared taking a bite.
If you're still stuck eating school cafeteria food every day there's hope! The human body can survive for three weeks without food! I'm sure you can last until the bell rings and you can go home and eat something tasty!
