---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Growing up poor, I didn't even have a…"
description: "\"Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.\" — George Foreman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png"
---

#  Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to…

![“Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.” quote by George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png)

> “Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.”

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Growing up in poverty meant lacking basic necessities like a school lunch, shaping resilience.

**In simple terms:** Poverty limited basic needs, building resilience.

Key Takeaway

Turn hardship into strength.

Themes

poverty childhood resilience determination social mobility

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

inspirational sociological

When to use this quote

- education
- sports training
- career development
- community outreach

Key Concepts

Adversity Motivation Self‑reliance

Questions to Reflect On

- How did scarcity affect your goals?
- What support could have changed your path?

A Different Perspective

Risk of glorifying struggle.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/)

## Related quotes

> [Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school. Lunch was 26 cents, and we didn't even know what 26…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lunch-to-take-to-school-lunch/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [“We have lunch at ten-forty-five,” Colin said. A stupidly early lunch. At our school, the older you get, the stupider your lunch period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/we-have-lunch-at-ten-forty-five-colin-said-a-stupidly-early-lunch-at/)

[Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/)

> [Given the choice, I'm sure the majority of children would rather have a packed lunch than school meals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/given-the-choice-i-m-sure-the-majority-of-children-would-rather-have/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [I don't want there to be this separation between the rich and poor. I may be part of the three percent because I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-wayans/i-don-t-want-there-to-be-this-separation-between-the-rich-and-poor-i/)

[Marlon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-wayans/)

> [Growing up, we weren't poor, but we didn't have money to spare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/growing-up-we-weren-t-poor-but-we-didn-t-have-money-to-spare/)

[Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/)

> [Nutritious meals, including lunch in school, and daily physical exercise, are essential for children and adolescents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/nutritious-meals-including-lunch-in-school-and-daily-physical/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [I remember very vividly being little and bringing my lunch to school and taking out what was my to-die-for treats from home, whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/i-remember-very-vividly-being-little-and-bringing-my-lunch-to-school/)

[Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/)

> [Growing up poor taught me a lot. It instilled in me the ethics of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chieh-huang/growing-up-poor-taught-me-a-lot-it-instilled-in-me-the-ethics-of-hard/)

[Chieh Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chieh-huang/)

> [When we were growing up, we were so poor that our heritage was the only thing we had. Mama would say, 'Kids, pour more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-judd/when-we-were-growing-up-we-were-so-poor-that-our-heritage-was-the/)

[Ashley Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-judd/)

> [“There are few advantages to growing up poor, and not having money for therapy is the biggest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/there-are-few-advantages-to-growing-up-poor-and-not-having-money-for/)

[Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/)

> [Despite growing up in very poor circumstances, my father had big dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/despite-growing-up-in-very-poor-circumstances-my-father-had-big-dreams/)

[Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/)

> [Growing up, I was poor. In college, I was poor. I never had anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/growing-up-i-was-poor-in-college-i-was-poor-i-never-had-anything/)

[Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/)

> [I think that growing up very poor in a very wealthy town gave me a sense of being an outsider, and I hated it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-think-that-growing-up-very-poor-in-a-very-wealthy-town-gave-me-a/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [Growing up in a very poor orphanage in Ukraine, there wasn't much food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oksana-masters/growing-up-in-a-very-poor-orphanage-in-ukraine-there-wasn-t-much-food/)

[Oksana Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oksana-masters/)

> [Growing up low income and poor, I didn't have the best relationship with money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/growing-up-low-income-and-poor-i-didn-t-have-the-best-relationship/)

[Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/)

## More by George Foreman

> [Money is a good thing, but every morning you have to get up with something no one else in the world gets up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/money-is-a-good-thing-but-every-morning-you-have-to-get-up-with/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [I love the pigeons. I just raise them, period, and feed them. Pigeons go away, and they always come back. You get a touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/i-love-the-pigeons-i-just-raise-them-period-and-feed-them-pigeons-go/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [I wanted to be champ of the world, but I kept hoping something would happen to Frazier. I didn't want to fight him. Nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/i-wanted-to-be-champ-of-the-world-but-i-kept-hoping-something-would/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [A boxer never sees the big one that hits him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/a-boxer-never-sees-the-big-one-that-hits-him/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/the-question-isn-t-at-what-age-i-want-to-retire-it-s-at-what-income/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you have to do is give them confidence they can. You have to give a kid a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/everybody-wants-to-be-somebody-the-thing-you-have-to-do-is-give-them/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [I wanted to be the best street fighter in Houston, Texas. And I thought if I got a trophy or two, I'd go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/i-wanted-to-be-the-best-street-fighter-in-houston-texas-and-i-thought/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [The wealthy class often looks down on the poor as "those people." And deprived people view the rich as cold and heartless. The way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/the-wealthy-class-often-looks-down-on-the-poor-as-those-people-and/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [Preaching is the most original thing I've ever done. There's nothing familiar about it. You have to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/preaching-is-the-most-original-thing-i-ve-ever-done-there-s-nothing/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [Oh, there's nothing more dangerous in life at getting hurt at than love itself. People are hurt in love affairs and never recover, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/oh-there-s-nothing-more-dangerous-in-life-at-getting-hurt-at-than/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [If you can maintain that integrity in whatever you do, you can't go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/if-you-can-maintain-that-integrity-in-whatever-you-do-you-can-t-go/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/let-the-other-guy-have-whatever-he-wants-before-the-fight-once-the/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [I feel that I had been rescued from the gutter by America. One day I was under the gutter, chased by police, thinking dogs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/i-feel-that-i-had-been-rescued-from-the-gutter-by-america-one-day-i/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [If you want it, leave your excuses behind and come and get it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/if-you-want-it-leave-your-excuses-behind-and-come-and-get-it/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

> [The greatest asset, even in this country, is not oil and gas. It's integrity. Everyone is searching for it, asking, 'Who can I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/the-greatest-asset-even-in-this-country-is-not-oil-and-gas-it-s/)

[George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

[Explore all 190 George Foreman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/)

## More Education quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

Ted Martinez

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/)

Ioannes Amos Commenius

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

[Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Foreman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lunch-to-take-to-school/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lunch-to-take-to-school/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cb/george-foreman-2028_education_growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lun_2105712.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.” — George Foreman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "George Foreman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Growing up poor, I didn't even...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lunch-to-take-to-school/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/growing-up-poor-i-didn-t-even-have-a-lunch-to-take-to-school/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```