Let’s be honest: high schoolers eat like tiny, ravenous dinosaurs. The free meal is often their only real meal of the day. The eligibility rules don’t change for age, by the way. It’s the same income rules from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Even if your grumpy teenager swears they don’t want “school food,” trust me, they will eat the pizza. And the cereal. And that weird, slightly unnerving fruit cup. They will eat all of it.
So please, don’t let pride or embarrassment stop you. The forms are usually private. The lunch lady is not judging you. She is judging the cafeteria’s mashed potatoes, just like you are.
