Well, my school lunches were often hot and "fresh," but the quality wasn't great. Prepackaged doesn't necessarily equal bad, as some packaged meals can be rather healthy.

If their preference for the brown-bag is simply a matter of taste, well then that's a separate issue.

I also used to use my lunch money to buy other kid's lunches that they didn't want, or were tired of. Do kids even know what cash is these days?