Were school lunches free in the 1950s? Separating Fact from Fiction
                                
                                
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                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                Following the signing of the National School Lunch Act in 1946, a federally assisted meal program was established to provide nutritious and low-cost or free lunches to children across the nation. While this law expanded access, the notion that all school lunches were free in the 1950s is a common misconception.