20 Things ’40s Pennsylvania Kids Had in Their Lunchbox

In the 1940s, Pennsylvania school lunches were a humble affair. No pizza Fridays, no vending machines, and certainly no delivery apps.

What ended up in your lunchbox depended a lot on where you lived, what your family could spare, and how resourceful Mom was in the kitchen.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was (sometimes) filling enough.

A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

The classic PB&J was already a lunchbox staple in the 1940s. It was simple, filling, and didn’t require refrigeration—perfect for busy families during wartime.

Back then, peanut butter was often homemade or came in glass jars, and jelly was sometimes canned at home from backyard berries.

Bread wasn’t always store-bought either. It might’ve been fresh from the oven that morning.

Kids didn’t care if the crusts were on. They just knew it tasted good and stuck to their ribs.

And if you were lucky? The bread was slathered extra thick.

Apple or a Hand-Picked Orange

Fruit was the go-to side item, especially something sturdy like an apple or an orange.

An orange in the South from a neighbor’s tree or a farm down the road was sweet, juicy, and cost next to nothing. In cooler states, apples were more common, especially in the fall.

Fruit required no prep. No slicing, no baggies—just toss it in and go.

Plus, it was one of the few sweet things a kid could get without ration coupons.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Peel-and-eat protein, 1940s-style. Hard-boiled eggs were affordable and easy to pack.

Families with backyard chickens had a steady supply. For others, eggs were still considered a good value, even during wartime.

Salt packets weren’t included, but kids would just bite and go. Sometimes they’d even bring two.

Sure, they smelled a little eggy by lunchtime. But nobody cared.

Cold Meat Sandwich (If You Were Lucky)

Not every kid got meat in their lunch. But when they did?

That was a treat.

It might’ve been bologna, ham, or even leftover roast from dinner. Wrapped in wax paper, stuffed between slices of white bread. It was simple, but satisfying.

Meat was rationed during the war, so this was definitely a “sometimes” sandwich.

And if it was Spam?

Well, that counted, too.

Leftovers Wrapped in Wax Paper

Nothing went to waste in the 1940s. If there was half a biscuit left from breakfast, it was heading into a lunchbox.

Cold fried potatoes, cut-up sausage, or even cornbread—leftovers were repurposed creatively.

No one batted an eye at cold green beans or a hunk of last night’s meatloaf.

And wax paper? That was the go-to wrapping—cheap and reusable.

A Slice of Homemade Pie

If dessert made it into the lunchbox, it was usually from scratch. A sliver of apple pie or a square of spice cake was pure gold.

These treats were often made from scratch using whatever ingredients weren’t rationed or could be stretched.

Sugar was precious, so pies were often sweetened with honey, molasses, or even canned fruit.

It wasn’t an everyday thing—but on the days it showed up, it was magic.

A Biscuit With Jam

In the South, biscuits were a lunchtime staple.

Sometimes they were filled with ham or cheese. Other times, they were slathered with homemade jam and wrapped in a napkin.

Biscuits were cheap to make, filling, and sturdy enough to survive the ride to school.

Even cold, they were a favorite.

Homemade Cookies

Store-bought cookies were rare, but homemade ones made regular enough appearances for some lucky ’40s kids.

Think oatmeal raisin, molasses, or plain sugar cookies—depending on what ingredients were available.

They were packed in wax paper or tin foil, and by lunch, they might’ve been a little crumbly. But no one minded.

Sometimes they were baked the night before. Other times, they were leftovers from Sunday.

Cheese and Crackers

Before string cheese and fancy snack packs, kids got a wedge of cheese and a handful of plain crackers.

The cheese might’ve been from a local farm, and the crackers were often saltines or homemade.

It was a no-fuss, no-mess lunch filler. It didn’t need refrigeration and was easy for even small kids to handle.

Just enough to take the edge off between classes.

Tomato Sandwiches

Yes, really. A simple tomato slice on buttered bread was a lunchbox regular in summertime.

Especially in farming communities, tomatoes were everywhere during the growing season.

Some kids loved them. Others… not so much. But they were cheap, fresh, and made with what was on hand.

Add a little salt, and that was lunch.

Celery Sticks or Carrot Chunks

If it was summertime, you probably had raw veggies grown from your garden in your lunchbox.

Carrots were sliced thick, not peeled fancy. Celery was another go-to.

No ranch dip. No hummus. Just raw, crunchy, and good enough.

It might not have been a kid’s favorite, but it was better than nothing.

A Thermos of Soup

Many 1940s lunchboxes came with a built-in thermos. And it wasn’t for chocolate milk—it was for hot soup.

Homemade vegetable soup or chicken broth traveled well and stayed warm till lunch.

It was hearty, easy to stretch for big families, and used up whatever was in the pantry.

Sometimes it was just broth with a few noodles. But it warmed you up and filled you up.

A Hunk of Bread With Butter

This was of the most basic ’40s lunch items, yet still satisfying.

It was usually yesterday’s bread, thickly sliced and spread with butter or margarine.

No frills. Just carbs and fat to get through the afternoon.

Sometimes it came with jelly. Sometimes just a little salt. But it always hit the spot.

Lard or Bacon Grease Sandwiches

Yes, it sounds wild now. But back in the 1940s, some kids ate lard or bacon grease spread on bread like butter.

It was salty, fatty, and calorie-dense—perfect for keeping growing kids full through the school day.

For many families struggling financially, especially during wartime rationing, this was a practical solution. Lard was cheap, shelf-stable, and often a byproduct of the family’s cooking.

To kids, it tasted good. To adults, it was just another way to stretch a dollar.

Canned Sardines or Cold Fish

In coastal areas or homes that embraced frugal living, canned fish was a lunchbox protein source.

Sardines, cold salmon patties, or even leftover fried fish were wrapped up and packed cold.

Not every kid loved the smell. But it was filling, didn’t require refrigeration, and was packed with protein.

It wasn’t about preferences—it was about using what was available. And fish was often more affordable than beef or chicken.

Cornbread or Johnnycakes

In Southern states and rural communities, cornbread was a staple lunch item in the ’40s.

It was cheap to make, easy to pack, and filling. Sometimes it was sweetened with a bit of molasses, other times it was eaten plain or with a smear of butter.

Johnnycakes (griddled cornmeal patties) also made their way into lunchboxes.

Cold or warm, these were high-energy bites that got kids through the school day.

Homemade Pickles or Relish

Pickling was a common preservation method in the 1940s, and many kids grew up eating pickled vegetables as snacks.

Pickles were packed in wax paper or small jars and eaten alongside sandwiches or bread.

Some kids brought pickled beets or cucumbers. Others had homemade relish spread on sandwiches.

It added a tangy punch to an otherwise simple lunch and was a clever way for parents to use up garden veggies.

Raisins or Dried Fruit

Before fruit snacks were a thing, raisins and other dried fruits were the go-to sweet treat.

Sun-Maid raisins came in tiny boxes, or families dried their own fruits at home in the oven or sun.

They were shelf-stable, easy to portion, and didn’t require any prep. Plus, they were sweet without needing added sugar.

Kids popped them like candy and sometimes even traded them if they were lucky enough to have extras.

Mashed Potato or Bean Sandwiches

If there were leftovers from dinner, they went between two slices of bread and into the lunchbox the following day.

Mashed potatoes, baked beans, or even stewed greens found their way into sandwiches. They were filling, cheap, and didn’t require refrigeration.

The texture wasn’t always pretty, but the goal wasn’t gourmet. It was fuel.

And many kids didn’t complain—they were just happy to have something to eat.

Nothing at All

Not every ’40s kid had a lunchbox filled with goodies. Some didn’t have one at all.

For poorer families, especially during the Great Depression hangover and wartime rationing, lunch was whatever could be scraped together—or skipped entirely.