Packed Lunches for School

loobyloo80

This is more a plea for help from my two children ! :rolleyes: I have 2 boys aged 7 ( on friday ! )and 4 They both have furocious appetites but are very different in their food likes and dislikes. My 7yrold won't eat fruit or veg ! But my 4yrold will eat everything and anything.
We were watching a program about a farm and he asked how do we eat the pig do we peel it first !! :rotfl:
Anyway back on topic-I have stopped the school dinners at £20 per week :eek: and they are both enjoying their packed lunch but I have run out of ideas and am bored of making the same thing everyday-also money is a little tighter than usual if anyone has any tips, recipies or ideas to share I would be very greatful.
looby:A

tiptoes

How about HM pizza, you could make for dinner the night before and give leftovers for lunch. HM Smoothies or milk shakes in a flask make a change for dessert. Scotch eggs HM or shop bought are good or maybe pasta salad, I hide all sorts of veg in the sauce.
I've sent mine in with HM soups in a flask and bread but check first will school this is ok as some can be funny.

Pink.

Hi loobyloo,

This older thread on packed lunches for children should give you some inspiration so I've merged your thread with it to keep all the ideas together.

Pink

HariboJunkie

Ok. First off you're lucky he will eat anything. My two are like that too.

This is a list of my typical packed lunches

Mon- Ham sarnie on HM wholemeal bread, small container with a few grapes copped melon and kiwi homemade flapjack.

Tue- Tuna and sweetcorn wrap, container of olives, chopped peppers and cherry toms, small tub of HM yoghurt

Wed- Peanut butter sarnie, small tub of salad, HM fairy cake

Thur- Pasta salad, apple, rice crispie cake

Fri- Cheese sarnie/pitta, crudites and hoummus, banana


Breaktime snack are usually a cereal bar or HM baking if I've been productive (like today);) plus a piece of fruit on tusdays and thursday. They get free fruit at snack time the other days.:D I only give them water to drink at school.
They are in primary 1 and the peer pressure is mad so they're always asking for cheese strings and crisps but they just don't get them. Last week I gave them a tub of dried fruit and seeds and all they're friends were jealous;)
I am really lucky I know but i can't believe my friends who fork out for school meals. One friend says she couldn't make a packed lunch for less than the dinner money cost of £1.55:eek: Mind you she's the one who does all her shopping at M&S and gives her boys cartons of juice instead of in a cup always:eek:

loobyloo80

Thanks guys-I find it really hard every day just feels soooo monotonous. I ask the boys for ideas but no joy there. There is definately enough there to keep them going. I have done my shop already this week so I'll roll in my new plan slowly !
Thanks all, looby

buxtonrabbitgreen

Pink-winged wrote:

Hi jcr16,

I know what you mean.....a thread I found on the board earlier today made me feel sad too.

Thriftmonster, I hope that you don't mind me linking to it, but I really think it would be of interest to readers of this thread.

Packed lunches and the "food police"

Sorry Liz, for going a bit off topic.

Pink

The food police. Thanks for that link. My ds likes homemade food but would never take fruit salad or pasta salad to school for fear of ridicule. He just takes his sandwiches and fills up when he gets home.

angie_baby

Hi, i have posted this somewhere else, sorry am a bit new, will sort my self out!! Anyway, i was wondering if i could provide a better and cheaper pack lunch for my little boy? He is five, at the moment he has school meals and they cost £1.85 per day, but he always says he doesnt like the food, even though he eats most things. if you have any ideas so he can have more than just a sandwich every day. And if it comes in under £1.85 that would be great.

Thanks

livinginhope

I always make up a big pasta salad on a Sunday eve for my kids and DH,I use wholemeal pasta,can of tuna,red onion,orange pepper,grated carrot and anything else that's around to bung in,I then add either mayonnaise or low fat dressing and mix it all up,I put this in a pot and put some cherry tomatoes in another,they take this with a yoghurt and apple or banana,much cheaper than school dinners and healthier
I also make some oaty apple bars or weetabix brownies to pop in aswell.

trigger2

what about a pasta salad with some cheese, ham, peas, sweetcorn, whatever he likes in it ? that'll be fairly cheap. or else try a wrap with ham/chicken etc, mine like that, or a slice of pizza. buy a little plastic box & make up some chopped fruit eg grapes, strawberries etc. give him a homemade muffin or flapjack too. check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_childrenlunchbox.shtml#food_for_a_‘healthy’_lunchbox i've got some ideas off there & it doesn't have to be expensive, you can economise ! good luck

angie_baby

Thanks, he did used to have lunches, but as i was busy i put him on schools dinners, but at £9.25 a week they are more expensive.
Thanks for the tips though, gives me some more ideas.