We had to pay everyday at lunch time when I was in school. No prepays. Our parents had to send us with our lunches or money. Sometimes a parent forgot.. Im my case.. Mom would put it on the counter and I forgot to take it myself. One other occasions there was the smartalek kid, like me, that would show off her lunch money and someone would steal it. Not necessarily the parents fault.
Sometimes when in a rush parents forget to give lunch money. Doesnt make them terrible.
At my school we got premade peanut butter and jelly. I HATE jelly.. of all kinds. When it got stolen, lost or forgotten, I had to go without anything because they wouldnt make me a new sandwich. And they didnt give milk with the sandwich.. they gave a cup for water at the fountain.
BUT! Sometimes I would notice kids trading pbj for things in other kids lunches.. They LOVED pbj over here.. So it wasnt really a punishment.. And sometimes looked better than the hot food they served.. Im grossed out by pbj especially since the jelly would bleed through the bread and make it purple.. But the other kids loved it..