School Meals v Packed Lunch

jap200

Justie wrote:

you don't know what the child is eating with packed lunches either - they can swap with other kids or just put food straight in the bin - if you're happy with the general menu at the school then it seems like an easier option all round. If you ask the child 'what did you have for lunch today' then you can get an idea of what they're actually eating and can always mention to the school if you have worries that she's not eating all the veg etc.

Check the school's policy on this - my kids are not allowed to swap any food due to possible allergies etc. and are not allowed to throw anything away - they bring rubbish and uneaten stuff home so you can see what they have actually eaten. Having said that, they are in primary school at the moment and I'm sure will develop skills to become more 'devious' as time goes on if they want to fool me into thinking they have/haven't eaten something.

School dinners are £1.75 per day where we are - and I have 3 kids, so that is the amazing sum of:

£1.75 per meal X 3 kids = £5.25 per day
x 5 days = £26.25 per week
x 40 school weeks per year = £1050!!!!

For me this is the deciding factor - I know for a fact that I can make a healthy packed lunch using things they like and will eat, for far, far less than this.

I do, however, wish that the school dinners were cheaper as it would be a darn sight easier on me and would get them used to eating food other than cooked by mummy.

There are some fantastic websites giving loads of ideas for things to include:

http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/food/fea106_packedlunches.asp
http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43&sectionId=1381&subSectionId=1123&parentSection=303&which=6

Try typing 'packed lunch' or similar into Google and you will find loads more.

When I was on my youngest son's pre-school committee we compiled a list of suggested substitutions for the less healthy food:

Instead of crisps:

• home-made popcorn (costs litterally a few pence per go)
• plain rice cakes (not the flavoured ones in crisp-type packets)
• bread sticks
• Strips of pitta bread
• cheese straws (home-made?)

Instead of dairylee dunkers etc.

• A small pot of humous
• A small pot of plain cream cheese such as Phili (or own brand) - you can add stuff to jazz it up a bit
  Don't forget to include the breadsticks and/or carrot, cucumber, pepper slices for dipping.

Instead of cheese strings etc. (v. high salt and expensive)

• a pot containing cubes of cheese and raisins
• 'kebabs' of cheese, cucumber, pineapple, cherry tomatoes etc. threaded onto cocktail sticks or wooden kebab sticks (snip of sharp ends afterwards)

Instead of sweets/chocolates

• home-made flapjack with added seeds, nuts or fruit
• home-made muffins with fruit in - make a big batch and freeze - easy to pop into lunchbox frozen
• Dried apricots, apple rings or other dried fruit
• Home-made fruit jelly - made into little plastic pots with lids (use slightly less water than usual for a firmer set - less messy)

Instead of fizzy drinks or juice drink cartons

• buy a re-fillable bottle or use empty froot-shoot type bottles and fill with
• Plain water!
• diluted fruit juice
• milk

I know for a fact that I can make 3 healthy packed lunches for about the cost of a single school dinner.

e.g.
Peanut butter sandwich- wholemeal bread (20p)
carrot or cucumber sticks (5p)
mini pot of humous/Philidelphia (I re-use the tiny little pots from the GU brand chocolate pots (15p)
Home-made muffin (10p)
Apple wedges (10p)
Water to drink
= 60p x 3 kids = £1.80

AnnieH

Some lovely ideas there jap200 - my kids have packed lunches and you've given me some fab ideas:)

montycat_2

My kids have free school dinners now but have always had them .

I think £1.75 is especially good value when you consider the price of food in a restaurant .I have got to know one of the Dinner Ladies and ,she "feeds " (excuse the pun) info.on what my girls eat .

My 2 youngest were particularly fussy before having school dinners but now ,they will eat most things .In a way it has helped them to taste and eat different foods .

Spendless

jap200 wrote:

they bring rubbish and uneaten stuff home so you can see what they have actually eaten

When I worked as a school dinner lady all packed lunches had to take their rubbish/uneaten stuff home as it was n't allowed in the same scrap bins/bins as the school dinners (never found out why - cross contamination perhaps). We also would not let children swap foods, it is potentially dangerous as jap says, we had a handful of nut allergy sufferers in the school.

My eldest is at school on dinners, the main pro for me is at school he has tried different foods, that I couldn't get him to try and liked them and changed from being a faddy 4yo to a 6yo who will try anything to see if he likes it. He has had packed lunch on a handful of occassions, but each time wanted to return to dinners the following week, mainly because he missed out on a favourite dish that was on dinners that week. With 1 each time I've done a packed lunch I've found the cost more or less the same as packed lunch, but my youngest starts school in September and I am wondering about the cost of 2xdinners each week then.

Jap they were some great lunch ideas you gave there :T .

Zara33

My youngest son goes school dinners, and you would be surprised how much more they actually eat when they are in the company of other kids and they are encouraged to try different things.

A nice hot meal inside him during the day at this time of year is so much nicer!

But then again my older son has packed lunches or sometimes he comes home for dinner but this is due to his disability nothing to do with the dinners at school whatsoever.

Red_Panda_2

My sons school also does not allow him to throw anything away or swap with other children and thats in junior school. I like that as I know what he has eaten, I also like him to come home and have his main meal as a family meal around the table.

His school had a free school dinner day just before Christmas, they invited all the pupils to have a free school dinner now they have the new healthy meals to tempt you.
I sent the letter of consent and added in the special meals that he is a veggi. Asked him what he had when he come home and his reply was, eggs, chips and beans!!! now with food like that there is no way I am going to let him have school dinners.
Such a shame as I know a lot of schools have some lovely food.

jap200

montycat wrote:

I think £1.75 is especially good value when you consider the price of food in a restaurant .I have got to know one of the Dinner Ladies and ,she "feeds " (excuse the pun) info.on what my girls eat.

I do actually agree with you - they can be good value if the food offered is healthy and plentiful and if you child chooses (or is helped to choose) a balanced meal. Also - I only work school hours myself, so am able to cook a hot meal every evening. Many parents have can't do this because of work committments and therefore the school meal option is obviously a better choice.

My comment about the cost is that I simply cannot justify finding £1050 a year - when I can give my kids a balanced packed lunch that I know they will eat and enjoy for a third of the cost.

A also just remembered - the best addition to my kitchen last year was an apple wedger. It is a circle shape with blades like spokes of a wheel and you press it over an apple and hey-presto, you have 10 wedges (without core) in no time at all. My kids will eat a whole apple if I have wedged it - but otherwise will come home with one only just nibbled.

Also - if giving satsumas/oranges to young ones - peel them first and wrap in clingfilm. It's not that they can't do it themselves, but they just don't get time.

Red_Panda_2

Thanks for that Jap200 I like the idea of an apple wedger, not really thought about that before I either spend ages trying to cut it up or send him with a whole one that never gets eaten as he doesnt have time.
Will hunt one out!

jap200

Red_Panda wrote:

Thanks for that Jap200 I like the idea of an apple wedger, not really thought about that before I either spend ages trying to cut it up or send him with a whole one that never gets eaten as he doesnt have time.
Will hunt one out!

They have one to order in Tchibo £3.50 - I think it will be in their shops next week too:

http://www.tchibo.co.uk/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/uk/-/GBP/TdUkDisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=0002451

Sarahsaver

Jap 200 - your kids are allowed peanut butter sarnies!?!?!
the cost thing HAS to be the major factor. What makes anyone think just because a child is eating a cooked meal they will eat it all? WHen my kids had free school meals DD only ate potatoes, pizza sausages, spaghetti hoops, sweetcorn, cheesy moons :eek: and the desserts. THis was despite so called 'healthy options' offered. No food is that healthy after being on a heated trolley several hours :rolleyes:
Mine have sandwich, piece of fruit and sometimes a HM cake, biscuit or flapjack, and once a week have a pack of the '10p crisps'
They are growing and thriving perfectly well.
Got the boys a multi section lunchbox in poundland - 50p in the sale , as they often like pasta, rice dishes and so on.