11 Sandwiches That Were Lunchbox Classics in the 1960s

In the 1960s, a school lunch usually meant a metal lunchbox with a cartoon or TV hero on the lid, a thermos of milk or soup, and a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper. There were no ice packs, no bento boxes and no allergy rules. Mom made what was in the house, and kids ate it or traded it.

The sandwich was the star of the show, and there were favorites everyone knew. Some are still made today, while others have become rare or have been dropped from lunchboxes for good. If you grew up in that decade, you’ll probably recognize every one of these, and you may even remember who you traded with.

1. Peanut Butter and Jelly

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich was the king of the 1960s lunchbox. It was cheap, filling and didn’t need to stay cold. Grape jelly was the classic choice, though strawberry jam had plenty of fans. White bread was standard, often a little squashed by lunchtime.

The PB&J is still a favorite, but many schools now limit peanut products because of allergies. The National Peanut Board notes that peanut butter remains a pantry staple in most American homes, even if it doesn’t travel to school as freely as it once did.

2. Bologna

A slice or two of bologna, a smear of yellow mustard or mayonnaise, and white bread made one of the most common lunches of the era. Some kids liked it with a slice of American cheese. Fried bologna was a weekend treat at home, but cold bologna went into lunchboxes.

Bologna is still around, but it has fallen out of favor as families look for less processed lunch meat. For many boomers, though, the smell of bologna and mustard is the smell of a school cafeteria.

3. The Fluffernutter

Peanut butter and marshmallow creme on white bread was a regional favorite, especially in New England, where Marshmallow Fluff was made. The name “Fluffernutter” came from an advertising campaign in the early 1960s, and it stuck.

Kids loved it because it tasted like dessert. Parents liked it because it was easy. Today, it’s seen as a sugar bomb, and you’ll rarely see one packed for school, though many grown-ups still make one for a nostalgia fix.

4. Deviled Ham

Underwood deviled ham came in a small can wrapped in white paper with a red devil on it. Moms spread it on bread straight from the can or mixed it with a little mayonnaise and pickle relish. It had a salty, spicy flavor that kids either loved or traded away.

Deviled ham is still sold, but it has become much less common in lunchboxes. Many younger people have never tried it.

5. Olive Loaf

Olive loaf was a lunch meat with green olives and pimentos baked right into it. Each slice looked like a polka-dot pattern. It was often paired with mayonnaise on white or rye bread.

Olive loaf had a loyal following among kids who liked the salty olive bites. It’s harder to find today, though some deli counters still carry it. Mention it to someone under 30 and you’ll probably get a confused look.

6. Pimento Cheese

In the South, pimento cheese was a lunchbox standard. It was a mix of shredded cheddar, mayonnaise and chopped pimentos, sometimes with a little onion or hot sauce. Many families made their own, while others bought it in a tub.

Pimento cheese has had a revival in recent years and is now on trendy restaurant menus. But in the 1960s, it was simply a cheap, easy sandwich spread that Southern moms always had on hand.

7. Egg Salad

Egg salad, made from chopped hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard and a dash of salt and pepper, was a common lunch, especially after Easter when there were extra eggs. It was creamy and filling and cost very little.

The trouble was the smell. By noon, an egg salad sandwich could clear out a lunch table. It also sat in a lunchbox for hours with no cooling. Today, food safety experts advise keeping foods like egg salad cold and not leaving them out for more than two hours, as USDA guidance explains.

8. Tuna Salad

Tuna salad was another inexpensive option, especially on Fridays, when many Catholic families skipped meat. Canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise, chopped celery and sometimes pickle relish made a quick sandwich filling.

Tuna salad is still popular, though more often eaten at home or bought at a deli. Like egg salad, its smell made it a lunchroom legend.

9. Braunschweiger

Braunschweiger, a soft, spreadable liver sausage, was especially popular in the Midwest, where many families had German roots. It was spread on rye or white bread with a slice of onion or a little mustard.

Kids had mixed feelings about it, but plenty of parents swore by it as cheap and nutritious. Today it’s rarely seen in lunchboxes, and many younger people have never tried it.

10. Peanut Butter and Banana

Peanut butter with sliced bananas was a sweet, filling sandwich that many kids loved. Some moms added a drizzle of honey. It became famous as one of Elvis Presley’s favorite foods, though his version was fried with bacon.

The banana often turned brown and mushy by lunch, but kids ate it anyway. It’s still a popular sandwich at home, but it travels less often to school.

11. Spam

Spam, introduced by Hormel in 1937, became a household staple during and after World War II. In the 1960s, many moms sliced it cold for sandwiches or fried it for a hot lunch at home. Hormel’s history of Spam traces how it spread around the world.

Spam is still sold everywhere, but it’s rarely packed in school lunches today. For many boomers, though, it was a regular part of growing up.

The Lunchbox Itself

The sandwich was only half the story. Metal lunchboxes decorated with characters from shows like The Lone Ranger, Lassie or The Flintstones were prized possessions, and the thermos inside was a bit of a status symbol too. Many collectors now pay good money for those old boxes.

It’s easy to see why these sandwiches stick in people’s memories, along with other nostalgic things that take 1960s kids straight back. Which sandwich did your mom pack most often, and which one did you trade away the first chance you got?