Packed Lunch for work

Uniscots97

trying-very-trying wrote: »

My 14yo dd also refuses to take packs, but since my lbm last June, I haven't given her lunch money. She has had a wee Saturday job since she was 13, so she decided to use her own money, thing is she only ever buys a sandwich. I still don't agree with it, but what can I do.

Ours would buy sweets, we know she would!

Flylady_Flower

unixgirluk wrote: »

Any ideas how to get a 14 yo to take a packed lunch? She's insisting on 2.50 a day and refusing packed lunches for her new school! At her old school she had a dinner ticket (and used to sell it, not impressed but what can we do about it?), but she won't qualify for one at her new school. Any ideas? She's not budging!

If she can refuse, so can you!
My 14yr old son was the same - but I stopped giving him money for lunches because he used to spend it on out of date sweets and buscuits in the shop on the way to school :eek: and I refuse to pay for junk for him to get hyper and told off.
He went with nothing for a few days in protest (I made sure he at least had a breakfast, I felt mean enough already) then started taking the sandwiches I had made instead of eating them when he got in. He now enjoys his lunches and doesn't get in as much trouble at school because he's eating properly! try it, it does work!

trying-very-trying

unixgirluk wrote: »

Ours would buy sweets, we know she would!

My 18yo old has been at school until last week, and she tells me that her sister doesn't go "down the street", so at least that's not a problem.
Thing is I often make little individual trifles, and she would love to have one of them with her lunch, but I won't let her take one if she won't take the rest of the packed lunch. 18yo was quite happy taking packs, but she is less bothered by what her friends do. The big advantage of taking packs is that you always have something that you like eating, and you don't have to queue!

Uniscots97

Thanks guys, the other worry is she'll go buy other stuff (i.e. cigs, we know she's tried it!!!) when she's not supposed to. Thanks for the ideas we'll give it a go

Uniscots97

The only thing I have thought of is that she might throw away her packed lunch then make herself a sandwich when she gets home!!!! Sorry just popped into my head.

Hawthorn

meester wrote: »

Wouldn't feed my kids that muck though... Since when does ham come in dinosaurs :eek: Canned tuna is quite cheap. Or just buy some decent ham.
And a loaf of bread doesn't last a month!



Ditto on the squirty cheese, just muck, see above, a nice piece of cheddar seems more than adequate.



Again, muck, full of chemicals. Small cartons of apple juice are much better.

I'm SO glad I'm not the only one who thought that. I have been accused of being an anally retentive food snob before now :rotfl:

Lidl do a nice premium ham. It's around £2 for six big slices. I cut them in half for a sandwich, so you get 12 slices for £2.....and it's not the reformed stuff (or crunchy meat as I like to call it )

My family are taking today, pasta salad. Last night for tea, I boiled up enough pasta to serve 12 (there are six of us), and made a pasta sauce. Four onions, fried. I used Red because they were 20p for a big bag from lidl. A tin of tomatoes (20p) 3 slices of ham from lidl (£1) One 500g Passata (29p) Basil (pennies) and cream (30p ish?)Oh, and a squirt of garlic puree when the onions are nigh on fried off, plus a bit of olive oil to fry them off.When the pasta was cooked, I mixed half with the sauce for tea, and the rest of the sauce went onto the pasta and into the fridge for tomorrows lunch
With that, they'll take an apple and a chocolate coated biscuit. I plan to reduce the cost of this even further by baking buns/pies etc instead of buying the choc bars, but we have em so we might as well use them. So, for about £3.50, I made enough to feed 6 people two meals Bonus!

shezza

Many thanks for the ideas and links, they were very helpful :rotfl:

Amanda

Hi,

My Other half is out during the day working and for lunch, usually goes into Tesco or garages for sandwiches, or even Mcdonalds or KFC.

This works out expensive and unhealthy so we're looking to do sandwiches and other things for lunches.

Only thing is, sandwiches can get boring! Do any moneysavers out there have suggestions for keeping costs down while making packed lunches a bit less dreary!

I'm thinking pasta, chili con carne, rice etc, things that can be cold and not need heating.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

kb36

Sounds like you are on the right track - to vary our kids packed lunches we do pasta salads, homemade coleslaws, cold sausages and potato salad, tabouleh, cream cheese and breadsticks, HM barbecue chicken drumsticks, houmous and breadsticks/ veg sticks. Takes a bit more effort than sandwiches but if it's last nights leftovers it's really simple! Also vary the bread you use - filled bagels etc are very tasty. My kids never say they are bored with their lunches;)

TAG

Why don't you have a look on the Old Style board. You should find loads of tips there.