Tag Archives: lunch

Creating a Kid-Friendly Lunch Shelf

So it’s back to school. This year, I’d really like my seven-year-old to start making her lunches. While she can come home for lunch sometimes, packed lunches are the way of things most days. I’m no fan of making lunches, and I’ve been known to be notoriously un-creative at times. In grade three, when I made my own lunch, I ate peanut butter sandwiches for an entire year. I still can’t eat a plain peanut butter sandwich without gagging. Enough said. Children have their own ideas about what makes a good lunch. If you’re aiming to have them make a nutritious … Continue reading →

Frugal Lunch Box Ideas

Okay, we are into October now, long past the time when back to school lunches were new, and I could get away with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Plus, my son is starting to talk about some of the cool snacks that some of the other kids bring. I want to be able to keep my son happy, while providing a nutritious lunch and snacks, and also saving money. On a recent trip to Target, I asked him to point out some snacks and lunch food that he would love to see make it to his lunch box. Mind you, … Continue reading →

Health at School: Lunch Time!

Ah, the school lunch. The cafeteria has come a long way since I was in grammar school, where you had one meal option and one “alternate” Sandwich choice. Even by the time I was in high school, the cafeteria had stepped up to compete with the local eateries in town, offering multiple hot and cold meal choices. Still, your kids might not want to chow down on cafeteria food every day — or you might want to save money and send lunch from home. Here are some tips to help ease the lunchtime battle. Set a lunch allowance. My parents … Continue reading →

Bagging Lunch

You know, there is more than one way to wrap a sandwich. With back to school approaching, I have been trying to think of some new ideas for bagged lunches. My son prefers them anyway, and we can save quite a bit of money by bagging it ourselves instead of paying for it at school. One of my biggest obstacles is what to actually put the food in. My son has a plastic container that fits a sandwich, but he often forgets to take it our of his bag when he gets home from school. One trick that works for … Continue reading →

Schools Taking a Bite Out of Lunchtime

Ask kids what their favorite part of the school day is and I’ll bet anything that the majority will answer: “LUNCH!” Unfortunately for those students, bad news may be on the horizon. According to reports, several school districts around the country are trimming lunch and recess and devoting the extra minutes to classroom time. The reason: Lunch is bad for kids. Not the nutritional part of it; rather experts say the whole experience of cafeteria dining is chaotic, stressful, unappetizing and akin to feeding time at the zoo. Educators who support reducing lunch periods maintain that with younger kids lunchtime … Continue reading →

Is It Cost Effective to Bring a School Lunch?

When planning out whether our eldest child will buy lunch or bring lunch to school, the cost involved is one factor. Last year, he brought lunch most of the time, and was allowed to buy a lunch for a special treat or as a reward for good behavior. With the cost of groceries increasing, I have been wondering if it still cost affective to have homemade lunches. I like the idea of packing a lunch, for a few different reasons. The first is that since my child is still young, I can have a bit more control over what he … Continue reading →

What is a “Typical Meal” in Your Single Parent Household?

We have many of us read the reports about how important meal time is for family cohesion and child development. As single parents, it can be tough to carve out the time for the “sit down” meal and for many of us, three courses are definitely out! It might be stew made in the slow cooker, pizza ordered for delivery, or deli sandwiches but many single parent families go for simple, quick and available instead of a complicated, multi-course meal. I thought it might be fun to talk about what a “typical meal” looks like in your single parent household? … Continue reading →

Lunch Money for Education

Here is a frugal idea that will both help you save money and help you build a college education fund. School lunches when you buy them at the school can be pretty inexpensive. The are usually subsidized by the government and well-balanced. This is very true if your school participates in the National School Lunch Program. That said, I can still usually pack a very nutritious lunch for my school-aged son that is much less expensive that the cost of buying the lunch. I also like being able to control what food is available to him and working with him … Continue reading →

School Lunch Strategies

Want to avoid spending $500 or more when you pack a lunch for school? Avoid those prepackaged convenience lunches and use these strategies to save. My son loves those prepackaged Lunchables kits. But not only are they super expensive (up to $4 here!) but they are also loaded with sodium and preservatives. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to make your own versions of these kits. Get a sectioned container (like a benzo box or a tupperware container). You can often find inexpensive containers in your local dollar store. The grocery stores also sell glad and ziploc plastic containers that can … Continue reading →

Alternatives to Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches are the perennial children’s favorite. Hey, if you pair one with a bowl of tomato soup, I’m a pretty happy camper myself. But what are some ways to pump up the old sandwich, give it some panache, some flair, some excitement? Roast Beef and Mozzerella Prepare your bread as usual, but use mozzarella instead of cheddar. Lay a slice of roast beef on the cheese, add another little bit of cheese so it will all stick, and then top with bread and cook as normal. Or . . . Use a loaf of French bread. Slice it … Continue reading →