Grocery budget and school holidays

pollys

Hi everyone,

I have 4 children who always seem to be starving. The grocery budget will probably go through the roof this 2 week holiday. I'd be interested in knowing what OS do with regards to lunch. The 3 at school take a packed lunch but there is no way that they'll just eat the equivalent at home, I'm sure my children have hollow legs. Do you cook the same sort of meal at lunchtime as for tea or do the children have a sandwich etc?

looking forward to finding out what others do.

thriftlady_2

Hi,Polly
My 3 take packed lunches to school and we have pretty much the same kind of lunch when they're at home.We have soup and bread,cheese on toast,beans on toast or just sandwiches.

I do find they want snacks constantly,this is my fault for establishing a mid-morning and after school snack habit.We always have healthy snacks but it all costs money.I'm trying to wean them off the need for snacks and just stick to 3 meals a day but it's going to be a struggle.

tina68

Hi Pollys
i know what you mean about hollow legs lol!
why not make choc rice crispie cakes. cheap n cheerful get tesco value choc and rice crispies, usually kids just want to be out all the time so snax is what they're after, even cheap crisps emptied into a bowl so they can't see the brand and neither can their pals,same for fruit juice too mix it ready and leave in the fridge
good luck
Tinax

pollys

Thanks for your post thriftlady, we have healthy snacks too then another and another. I was wondering whether it might be cheaper to provide a more substantial meal at lunchtime and (hopefully) cut down the snacks. Think I'll try it and see.

Thanks Again

smokey112

Hi Pollys

When we have OH kids through the school hols (we have them this week from Sun til Wed) then we do pretty much the same as Thirftlady. I am always at work when they are here so it is left to OH to deal with them - last week DSD had a drama club at her school soshe took packers - I made HM soup in the SC and OH and DSS had that for their lunch both days - it was a thick broth and was fairly cheap to make - there is some in the freezer for this week which they can have also.
Tins of beans and sausages on toast (27p from ASDA) is another that they will have and sometimes if they have a long lie then OH makes them piles of French toast and they dont have anything else till dinner
I make Oaty biscuits which they all love - cheap to make
Regarding snacks - I personally think that they eat far too much crisps etc - so I tend not to have too much in the house - they wont eat fruit at all - I would rather they ate something more filling that crisps

Ang
x

pollys

Thanks for the reply Tine, unfortunately one of my children has allergies so I have to be really careful what I give them to eat, we go through home baking at the speed of light. I have to watch out for additives and colourings so buy organic, which I prefer.

Think I'll just have to cook at lunch.

smokey112

What about pasta dishes - one dish I sometimes make for lunchtime is Tuna and pasta - this can be made fairly cheaply - you can add sweetcorn, tomatoes/ cucumber / boiled eggs

Ommlette (sp) is another thing you could make

make slighly more in you evening meal and keep the leftovers for lunch

baked potatoes and beans etc is also filling and cheap

Ang
x

Queenie

It can be difficult, I know.

Is it possible to have the main meal during the middle of the day? The old adage of breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and supper like a pauper works on the principle that if you fill up early in the day, you eat less as the day wears on. The longest period that your body goes without any fuel is through the night, so to refill your tank first thing in the morning make a lot of sense.

I know some people aren't lovers of fruits and veg, but they really are great filler-uppers. For energy and healthy snacking, if sweet hm baked goods are needed, flapjacks and granola bars are good and far healthier than crisps or sweetie snacks.

Soups and toasted sandwiches are filling, healthy and fairly reasonable cost wise.

Maybe make some bread pudding? (Not bread and butter pudding) That's a great cheap filler-upper.

If you can't switch the main meal from teatime to lunchtime, have you considered making a brunch instead of seperate breakfast/lunches?

A final thought, I often cook double and freeze half for other times, especially school holiday times.

Hope you find a solution that works for you and your family pollys, good luck.

Queenie

Must just quickly add - are your children mistaking thirst for hunger? I know mine do that and I tell them to have a large glass of water and see if they are still hungry - it's a good dieters trick too.

If you really look at how much fluid they are having and compare that to how much food they are eating, you may be surprised and find that they are in fact more thirsty than hungry. Worth thinking about anyway. Hope I haven't offended.

bulchy

I was gonna suggest jacket spuds too smokey, very filling, also beans on toast, eggs on toast, fish fingers and beans, soup, beans and sausages, looks like everyones got every thing covered, We all think alike dont we?
Sue

Prudent

I always make big pots of soup in the holidays plus some very simple pasta dishes such as pasta with tuna/ cheese and sweetcorn. I also try and make some sponge cakes, flapjacks and scones. This is great for when friends (mine and daughters) drop in or for the never ending sleepovers which seem to happen in the holidays.