The cost of school lunches can really put a crimp in the family budget. I started tallying up the cost that we spent out on school lunches last year alone and the total came to over $500!!! I know right?? That is an insane amount of money and when I think about the quality of food that my child was getting compared to the price I knew something had to change.
When your child takes his/her own lunch you will not only cut down on the cost but you will know exactly what is going into their bodies. As parents it’s very important to think about these things because trust me…..if you don’t think about it nobody else will. We all want our children to eat healthier and what better way than to pack their lunch ourselves. Sure it will take a little more time and planning but I think they are worth it. Don’t you?
Plan your child’s school lunches just like you would your own family dinner. If you don’t plan then you will fail at packing your kids lunches so spend five minutes of your time when planning out your budget for the week to come up with ideas to send your child to school with some healthy choices.
Don’t spend money on individually packaged items. Buying 20 different kinds of chips that come in cute little baggies that are so easy to grab and throw in a lunch box will cost you BIG every single time. Have you ever opened one of these little bags?? They have about 7 chips in them if you are lucky! Spend a little bit of time and buy some zip-lock baggies and make your own snack bag of chips. Try and grab some baked or healthier chips for your child also. I don’t think there is a whole lot of nutrition in a bag of Cheetos!!
Take some time on the weekend to make some goodies. Kids love pudding, granola bars and snack cakes. Take a little time on the weekends and make them yourself. Package them up in re-usable containers saving yourself a bundle in the process.
Look into other bread options. At our local Walmart they have a giant cart of different kinds of breads and cakes that are nearing their expiration date. These are breads that are baked fresh at Walmart and sometimes taste much better than the ones you get in the bread isle. Grab these sale items up and freeze them in your freezer until you are ready to use. Be creative…. who says they need sliced bread! English muffins, buns and flat breads are super yummy too on a sandwich and will keep them from getting bored from eating the same thing day in and day out.
Buy fruits and veggies that are in season. Fruits and veggies can be a great addition to your child’s lunch and if you watch the sale flyers you can get a rocking deal on them. If your kid is a veggie frowner you may try sending some ranch dressing with their veggies. Everything is just better with ranch!!
What kind of items do you plan on sending with your child this year for lunch?
I love all of your tips. I try to save whenever I can 🙂
Good tips…I take a lunch to work…amazing how much you can save by planning ahead.
we don’t buy much if any prepackaged foods. it’s way more expensive and kids don’t need big portions like most offer!
I’m working on expanding my very picky toddler’s palate. Now we are into fruits (FINALLY!) and he likes sliced pears and raisins. I’ll take what I can get!
I have to start thinking about this for Kindergarten in September. I will definitely include fruit, carrots and other veggies and some sort of protein and carb. She needs the protein most of all, so cheese slices and string cheese, hummus, tuna, etc.
What great advice! My first child will be starting school soon and I have no idea what to expect lol These are definitely some great tips to follow! Thank you!
These are great tips! My son is going into first grade and I know I’ll be packing his lunch.
Those little bags of chips are ridiculous! Get some plastic baggies, buy a big bag, and portion them out! Do it on the weekend and you have chips for the whole weekend.
There is a saying my husband likes to use – “Failing to plan is just as bad as planning to fail.” This year I will be packing lunches to send to school for the first time, so I very much appreciate all of these tips! Thanks.
Never purchased single for lunches. Great advice.
These are great ideas. I homeschool – but we can still use these tips.
My son has school lunch for the first time this fall. I want to send him to school with lunch already made so these are great tips. Thanks!!
These are great tips. Since kiddo doesn’t live with us during the week (husbands daughter) her mom takes care of her lunch. I do believe she is part of the free breakfast and lunch program. But, if she were to come here, I’d pick her out the cutest bento box we could find!
This are great tips! I will have all three of my children in school next year!
These are great tips. Planning your kid’s lunch in advance saves extra trips to the grocery and always saves me time!
I make my son’s lunches for daycare. He loves sandwiches and apple slices. (So I buy a lot of apples to slice each day.) He’s also a huge fan of cheese. His lunches are fairly easy!
I made my son’s lunches for them until they got into high school and then they wanted to do their own thing. It has been awhile for me but I know fresh with few packaged foods are always the best.
Will be taking these into consideration for Kindergarten next year! Woot for a big school year
Thanks for the ideas! These will be helpful for sure.
These are really great ideas. Super helpful to think about for the next school year.
When I would take my lunches to school my grandmother always gave me a little ziploc bag of potato chips and a small bowl of dessert in my box. She didn’t see the point in individual bags of chips and pudding cups. Those were some great lunches!
I’ve got a teen who would cheer for your Ranch statement. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the great tips!
What great school lunch tips. You can really save money making homemade snacks and breads. It seems like school just got it that I don’t want to think of it starting up again! LOL I know soon we will have to get on this.
I don’t make school lunches anymore but I certainly remember the challenges of making good, healthy lunches while not spending a fortune. Thanks for sharing your great tips.
Thanks for sharing the great tips. My son racked up a $60 bill last school year and I was mad!!!!
My daughters are not in school yet, but I will remember this when the start!
Those are all really great tips and I need to start using some of them myself. My kids buy lunch at school and it can work out to be really expensive when the year ends.
These are great pointers! My daughter has to eat gluten-free options- so we have to plan ahead or else we find ourselves in quite the pickle!
I love the discounted bread idea. I would get some and then freeze it to use. Definitely using seasonal fruits and veggies is a good idea too.
I used to go to the day old bread store all the time when my son was in school. Great tips!
Checking the bread that is discounted is a great option. We try to buy in season and in bulk. More work, but it’s less money.
I like to grab the breads that are on sale, too. You can always freeze them for a short period.
Great tips! We still have a few years until school, but we do picnics with our mommy group.