CPS Lunches: From “Stick-to-Your-Ribs” to “Sad Hamburgers”… What Are We Doing Here, Chicago? By GerryPthaDJ

CPS Lunches: From “Stick-to-Your-Ribs” to “Sad Hamburgers”… What Are We Doing Here, Chicago?

Back in the 80s, Hubbard High lunch was a whole vibe. Ray Salazar still remembers those days — steaming plates of chop suey, turkey à la king, and a warm chocolate cake that hit the spot on a cold Chicago day. And let’s be clear — this was public school food, not some private prep spread.

Fast-forward to 2025… Ray’s now a CPS teacher, looking at his students’ trays like, “What happened to us?” Sad hamburgers. Five lonely chicken nuggets. An apple. And that’s lunch. SMH.

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When the Kitchen Stopped Cooking

CPS cafeterias used to cook. I’m talking fresh, scratch-made meals. Now? Most kitchens are just reheating pre-packaged stuff from big vendors. And even the schools with full kitchens are still just warming things up. You might get a real chicken drumstick once in a while, but it’s rare.

Why? Follow the trail:

Privatization in the ’90s put food service in the hands of big companies like Aramark (pulling in $86M/year) and Open Kitchens ($26M/year).

Cafeteria staff cuts — we went from 3,240 workers in 2005 to about 1,800 last year. You can’t cook like Grandma when you’ve got half the crew.

Stricter nutrition rules took out some of the flavor — goodbye CPS sugar cookies, goodbye PB&J that actually tastes like peanut butter.

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Students Ain’t Buying It — Literally

CPS even ran a taste test this year at Hanson Park Elementary. Kids weren’t shy: some food was undercooked, flavors felt “off,” and the PB&J was… let’s just say “confusing.” The district’s own survey? Two-thirds of students skip lunch, mainly because of quality.

And here’s the problem: if a free hot meal isn’t worth eating, kids will go hungry or hit the corner store for chips and soda.

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CPS Is Trying… But

They’re holding taste tests, tweaking menus, rolling out things like smoothies and baked potatoes — but the change is moving slower than Chicago traffic in rush hour.

What we need:

1. Let the kids have a say — if they hate it, don’t serve it.

2. Scratch cooking hubs that make fresh food in bulk for nearby schools.

3. Flavor education — herbs, spices, and seasonings that work within the health rules.

4. Hire and train more cafeteria workers — food tastes better when made by people who care.

5. Public scorecards — rate the meals, fix the fails, celebrate the wins.

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Bottom Line

CPS food went from stick-to-your-ribs to stick-in-the-microwave. That’s not just nostalgia — it’s the result of decades of cuts, contracts, and compromises. If we want kids to eat better, we’ve gotta bring back the kitchens, bring back the flavor, and bring back the pride in what’s on that tray.

Chicago, we can do better than sad hamburgers. Let’s get cooking