The lunchbox deals hunt?

gailey_2

berbastrike wrote: »

my suggestion would be save money in petrol by stop shopping around every food shop near you looking for bargains/reduced items and just buy from one shop

No petrol required I can walk it and often do as dont drive and buses here stupidly pricey.

1.2miles tesco metro-walk 1mile and lidls next to morrisions and on other side new aldis opening, pound stretcher opposite and 5mins round corner new iceland and b&m has opened.

Iceland also opposite tesco metro and on way I pass a large co-op.
on way home pass sainsburys local and smaler co-op and spar.

so I can shop around.

To do them all walking from my house I reckon 2-3hours on there and back when girls in school and babys in buggy.

Co-op sainsburys my nearest big supermarkets. both can be very expensive if did hole shop there.

large sainsburys is less than ,mile walk on retail park opposite lidls so always do lilds first.

I know im lucky living in a city.

If I should chose to pay £4 for day pass on bus can go city centre which has

tesco metro
sainsburys local
waitrose
poundland
family bargains
99p store
m&s

asda, aldi, farmfoods home bargains and pound world need car but they not too far.

No cool trader here

tesco extra short bus ride
So I can shop around.

Finding the healthy eating policy hard as only allow my kids 1pack crisps a day .

Eldest not keen on smoothies even tried homemade she likes choc milkshake. But thats against healthy eating policy.

hubby got 5pk vit fruit juice lidls 49p today assume weekend deal so 10p a carton, wish he had got more now.

Edwardia

I was educated at state schools in France and Canada as well as UK and have to say French kids get amazing food. School food should be subsidised, so it's cheap enough for all parents to be able to afford and schools should provide nutritious interesting food with plenty of choices.

Parents wouldn't then be faced with trying to satisfy picky eaters on a budget and provide portable lunches which fit in with what the school decides is healthy.

School dinners at my primary school were so dire (liver and onions with cabbage) that I would make my own peanut butter, banana and crisp sandwiches.

Since it is possible to get additive free no added sugar chocolate milk, cola, peanut butter, orange juice etc it makes a mockery of the policy.

So if little Horatio turns up with all organic versions are they gonna confiscate his organic chocolate milk too because little Rihanna's has additives ?

I don't see how it's the school's business frankly.

tessie_bear

gailey...with regards to the lidl cartons i know it doesnt help now but they do them half price quite often so might be worth keeping an eye out

i have decided to pay £1.90 a day for my 7 year old to have a cooked lunch for the winter at least...i came to the conclusion that to provide a healthy nice packed lunch was not much cheaper than the meal...a nice bit of meat and salad on a sarnie/fruit/some veg/a drink/hm cake adds up and it saves getting bigger quantities in than he needs,,,i will see how it goes

gailey_2

Hear what you saying edwardia when i grew up never seemed this bad.

Schools have strict policies and food can be confiscated.

Today shes got 2sandwiches and loads reduced fruit and carton apple juice no choc, cakes or crisps. might bake some fairy cakes for tommorow.

All my kids love fresh fruit but its so expensive we get apples as they generally cheapest, satsumas in winter and middle child likes bananas.

You have to be on really low income to be eligible for free school meals so know many families who do packed lunches not through choice more neccessity if they have 2+kids it all adds up. Especially as things like buses to school no longer free, school trips, uniform schools really expensive feel like paying out money all time.

With everything going up its getting harder and more time consuming to get a good deal.

dlusman

This is the sort of stuff that Approved food do well on

For example at the moment

Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Fruit and Nut Bar 18 Bars for £1
http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/?pid=52567

Mexican Discovery 8 Plain Flour Tortillas 320g for 39p ( or 3 packs for a pound )

http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/?pid=52598
- these freeze perfectly okay if you want to buy a whole pile in bulk

+ other good prices on breadsticks , crips , fruit juices

Edwardia

Lidl from 17/01/13

Oaklands fresh oranges 1.5kg £1 save 69p
Funsize packs apples, pears and bananas 99p
Kiwis 26p each
1kg British apples £1 save 59p
1kg Granny Smith apples £1 save 59p
125g blueberries 86p were 1.24
Leerdammer mild Continental cheese 160g 99p
Golden Wonder 6 packs 99p

Lindy_-_Loo

hello,

asda have quite a few grocery offers at 50p at the minute. There are also chilled items included in this. Ambrosia tinned custard and rice pudding is 50p - would you consider popping this in a tub and have that in a lunch bag? They also have fabulous boy flapjack bars at 50p with 5 in a pack.

My boys have packed lunch and sometimes instead of samdwiches they have 3 scotch pancakes each. Teaco value are less than 50p a pack and you get 6 in it.

They also use reusuable bottles and take either flavour water or cordial.

Iceland have boxes of 12 calypso cartons with straws (180ml) these are flavoured water so a nice healthy alternative.

RHYSDAD

This is something that gives us a headache as our boys are fuss pots and will only eat school dinners if it's fish fingers or margarita pizza!! Lunch boxes are a bit of a mare as we like it to vary but want it healthy as possible as well.
I'm a keen cook so make bread as often as possible although they like pitta breads as well ( haven't got round to making them yet). We try to make sure that they have at least three fruit and veg servings in their lunch. Usually it's fruit juice, raisins, grapes, carrot sticks, cucumber, sweetcorn or, sometimes, those little fruit shoelaces but they're a bit pricey considering their size. We usually give the boys a combination of the above, not all!!! I also make banana cake with a third less butter and sugar to make it slightly healthier. I also make gingerbread men and raisin and oatmeal cookies to give them an afternoon boost. We try to give them pasta salad or couscous as a change but they aren't interested. We won't force them preferring that they'll ask for new things in their own time..