Packed lunches, how much do you spend?

Kaz2904

I have DD (9) and DS (7). DS still gets a snack until September from the shool. Poor DD went hungry for a couple of weeks because we didn't know the snack stopped and she didn't mention it .
They get: 2 slices bread with cheese or ham. 1 piece of fruit unless it's little then they get 2. A chocolate biscuit. We often forget the choccie biccie. DD gets another piece of fruit too to have at break time. They aren't allowed drinks at DS's school, they have to take an empty cup or bottle which gets filled up at lunch time. DD has to take a drink so has a bottle of squash.
DS generally leaves his dinner. He's a terrible picky eater. An appetite like a sparrow and he's really thin. DD eats masses at home and at school. She is always hungry. I remember being the same as a child though and am not overweight now. I used to go out to the kitchen after tea and eat plain boiled rice that was left over .
They also always want a snack as soon as they finish school so they have fruit or sometimes, a piece of toast (I'm generally having my breakfast so stick in some for them).

I echo a PP's concerns about the amount of "treat" foods given to kids. Ours have sweet day on a Friday (but often have them on another day ).

Violetta_2

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Why would anybody believe that some cold, cooked chicken could go off and be dangerous to eat just four or five hours out of the fridge? The answer is that it won't and it can't.

Chicken shouldn't be kept at room temperature for longer than 2 hours otherwise harmful bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels- salmonella can be deadly.

escortg3

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Why would anybody believe that some cold, cooked chicken could go off and be dangerous to eat just four or five hours out of the fridge? The answer is that it won't and it can't.

It wouldnt be cold though would it. Lets say we make sandwhiches at 8.00am lunch at 12.00 that would be 4 hours in a warm environment. If you are taking to work and have a fridge thats fine but not in a school bag.

We are all different and have different views which is great, it would be a boring place if we all agreed

liney

escortg3 wrote: »

It wouldnt be cold though would it. Lets say we make sandwhiches at 8.00am lunch at 12.00 that would be 4 hours in a warm environment. If you are taking to work and have a fridge thats fine but not in a school bag.

We are all different and have different views which is great, it would be a boring place if we all agreed

Modern kids lunch bags act as cool bags:http://www.kidstoys4u.co.uk/school-bags-kids-lunch-bags/ben-10-insulated-lunchbag-backpack-bag-kids-bags-kids-school-bags-2146385-329815-.php

If you refrgerate the lunch over night, a yoghurt will still be cold at home time.

MERFE

I don't see the problem with chicken, my kids have taken it loads of times on a monday, their lunch boxes are like cool bags and the school do actually put them in the fridge till lunch time so maybe it depends on the school. My son has taken frubes before that he hasn't eaten and had it on the way home and it was still cold.

I tend to have a 3-4 things rule, mostly 3 so sandwich/roll/pita bread/wrap, then veg carrot sticks, cucumber, cherry toms or celery sticks, fruit normally an apple or banana sometimes strawberries or blueberries or grapes if we have them. Then either another piece of fruit or raisins, yougurt, cheese string etc.
At the moment they still get a snack time piece of fruit and DD often comes out of school with a carrot or apple from the school allotment. DS still has his milk till the end of the year as well, this is loads for him and he does sometimes bring things home but DD eats everything and some of her friends too sometimes from what she says. I did try giving them plums on friday but they both brought them home - if they were that hungry they would have eaten it.

I disagree with the junk thing and believe kids have alot less than when I was growing up, I had crisps and a chocolate biscuit everyday in my lunch box, sweets every sat with my pocket money and lots of frozen meals like pizza,pies, frozen chips. I do make the occassional flapjack like twice a year or something but this is not why they had wide fitting feet when they were younger it was because of genetics numpty shop assistant.

flikkerty

My 5 year old has a sanwich, either marmite, cheese and salad,ham, jam, banana - on its own or with nutella or peanut butter. Then a yogurt or cheese portion of some sort. A treat like an individual brioche, fruit bar, flapjack. Then a tupperware of fruit including things like fried prunes or apricots, then cherry tomatoes/cucumber those asda bags are great as they have a good choice. It depends, if she has a sweet filling on the sandwich then the rest will have a bit of calcium, fruit, or whatever so it doesn't become a big load of fruit lunchbox or too bready or you know. I try and get stuff in when it is on special! It doesn't cost much but i do keep a good supply in advance. It is trying to keep it interesting and appetising to want to eat it all, she is tiny. cheers

Spendless

I have ice blocks that I can put in a lunchbag if I wish, and also some sandwich boxes that have the freeze gel in the lids, you just put the lid in the freezer o/night and that acts as a cooler in the same way an ice block does and takes up less space, but the stick yoghurts I mentioned earlier frozen also work, combine that with a kids lunchbag like the one in the link above, and I've never had an issue.

building_with_lego

Our school has guidelines:
One portion of carbohydrate, one of non- dairy protein, one of dairy, at least one each of fruit and veg. Crisps are allowed on a Friday as the school dinners have chips.

I freeze a Frube and pop an icepack in in warm weather; I've just started freezing tiny pasties in pairs too, they've defrosted by lunchtime but help keep the whole thing cool. One can make the whole lunch as cheap or as costly as one likes

Counting_Pennies_2

Mine religiously have:

Smoothie
sandwich
Yoghurt
Raisins (DD only, DS dislikes them)
Humzinger

(when I get a chance I make mince pies and freeze them and send DS in with one, they are his favourite treat!)

So approximately that comes to £12 per week for both children

zippychick

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

Mine religiously have:

Smoothie
sandwich
Yoghurt
Raisins (DD only, DS dislikes them)
Humzinger

I have to ask, what's a humzinger?