[pro_well]

This year my DH and I are going to give the kids cold lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to cut the cost of school lunch money. If any one has idea's for cheap but good/healthy lunch idea's, let me know. I'm making a shopping list tomorrow and can't think of anything but PB&J for it!!


pro_well
PLS & THXS

[mefreire89]

Maybe crackers and tuna? & those dole fruit cups that don't need to be cold, there are tons of Q's for those right now.

[cyndibru]

Baby carrots, raisins, cereal snack bars or granola bars, a ham sandwich or turkey sandwich (still is fine at lunchtime). I always tried to send a main lunch protein item, a fruit or veggie, and a "treat" that was still kinda healthy. I stayed away from chips and such. I'm sure others will have much more "creative" ideas, but my kids were into pretty simple food.

[Jakejake]

We never bought school lunches, and my daughter didn't like traditional sandwiches. Things that worked: pita bread and a container of hummus. good quality whole wheat bread with homemade flavored cream cheeses (like buzzed in the blender with dried tomatoes). Warm stew or soup in a thermos. Small finger food like cherry tomatoes or berries. Stuffed grape leaves.

Some of my students bring salads to lunch, you can add boiled eggs, chopped meats, diced apples, walnuts, etc. to it so it's a full meal. Homemade trail mix - but I would keep in mind the nutrition when you make it. Don't add junk food to their lunches, think more like nuts and raisins or other dried fruit. Oh - and a container of homemade (no sugars) yogurt, and let them make granola with you to add into it from a separate container, and a container of chopped or mashed fruit to mix into it.

[princessinsuwanee]

My dd was on Ritalin in her elementary years, so her appetite was non existent at lunch. But, we packed turkey roll ups, ham roll ups, the ever popular grapes with fruit dip (Aka yogurt, but she doesn't know that!) and trail mix. Enough protein to give her energy, but not so much food that looking at it made her realize she wasn't hungry.

[tratra]

Or the old standbys from when you were a kid--

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
bologna and mustard sandwiches
tuna sandwiches
apples, oranges, bananas, grapes
carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber sticks, snap peas if they like them
chunk cheese if they like it

I took my lunch about half the time until high school. Mom kept it pretty simple. Plenty to nourish me from when we ate at 11 to when I got out of whatever ball practice was in season that month at 5 or 6, but not so much that it got wasted.

Sometimes I took pasta or homemade soup in a thermos.
Bought milk there are school.

I think sending what you know they eat at home is the best way to make sure they get enough to eat and not have a lot of it wasted.

[marnimae]

There is a thread on the forum called Frugal school lunches, check it out it is fantastic and has great ideas... brieclark started it, you might be able to look it up under her name too under her posts. Sorry I am not sure how to put the link on here.

[CarrieM]

Originally Posted by marnimae

There is a thread on the forum called Frugal school lunches, check it out it is fantastic and has great ideas... brieclark started it, you might be able to look it up under her name too under her posts. Sorry I am not sure how to put the link on here.

Brieclark makes these Bento meals. They look awesome! Her post is here... http://www.afullcup.com/forums/fruga...l-lunches.html

[barbnron]

You might check with your school because most schools now have a microwave available for students to use. I send my kids lunch to school, they're teenagers now can out eat most grown men , even the one that is a 5'6" 100lb skinny little girl can put it away with the best of them. I usually pack them leftovers from the dinner the night before like today they took homemade chicken fried rice and fruit rollups. I also make extra spaghetti and such so I can pack it for them I put it in Glad containers and they nuke it at school. Sometimes they have gogurts or a piece of fruit etc. I got a bunch of those hot pockets snackers, they were free with Q's and in the snack size they have 4 to 5 in a pkg. the kids love em and I put in a baggie of popcorn and some fruit or whatever. I also pack them a sports bottle of kool-aid ice cold and that keeps everything pretty cool in their insulated lunch bags until lunchtime. I know that some people will blast me for the kool aid but my kids are 16, 18, and 19 (my 19yr. son is severely autistic so he'll be in school till 21) and most of the kids their age are downing sodas, or gatorade so I figure it's inexpensive and they will drink it. I'd suggest a carton of milk from the cafeteria for younger children that's what I used to do. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending milk in the lunchbags although sometimes I send juice. Milk might work if you have the lunchbox coolers but I've found that they don't seem to cool the whole bottle. Hope this helps.

[EStimpert]

Originally Posted by marnimae

There is a thread on the forum called Frugal school lunches, check it out it is fantastic and has great ideas... brieclark started it, you might be able to look it up under her name too under her posts. Sorry I am not sure how to put the link on here.

Thats exactly what I was thinking!!