Regarding "subsidized lunches", in the 1950s and the start of the TV age, many TV channels had noontime kids' programs on TV. Larry Harmon, who took over and popularized "Bozo" (he did not create the character) got the idea of syndicating it so that when the kiddies came home for lunch they could watch a locally oriented program and see local
kids on the tube. Never did that myself-even when I lived within walking distance of the school I stayed at school to play with the other kids. Also I recall in my youth the practice now called "brown bagging"-your mother packed you a lunch, you took it to school, put it in your desk (and hoped another kid didn't steal it) until lunchtime. Or you brought your lunchbox
(and hoped your thermos liner didn't break-more than once I heard the dreaded sloshing sound of a shattered glass liner.), traded lunch with your pals, when your mother asked "How was lunch?" you said "Fine".
Hot meals were more of a wintertime thing and even back then they were part of the curriculum, teach the kiddies about proper nutrition.
Back then Breakfast was something you had at home and talked about school-nowadays it seems to be the other way around.