Packed lunch cheap treats

embob74

Hi all

I've been a lurker and love how frugal you all are but haven't seen much in the way of packed lunch ideas.

I do think it's one of our biggest shopping expenses so am hoping to target this area first for money saving.

Currently a packed lunch consists of sandwiches (ham, cheese, tuna or egg mayo), a packet of crisps (usually top brand name although only when on offer), a piece of fruit, a chocolate bar (again a branded one such as Mars, Bounty etc but only bought when on offer) and maybe a cake (Mr Kipling or such).

As well as cutting the cost I'd like ideas for healthier eating please.

OH works in a demanding physical job so takes a LOT of food and wouldn't be happy with a slice of bread and an apple so extras are needed. I'm not averse to making my own cakes although am unsure if this does work out cheaper as the cost of butter is high.
Looking forward to peoples ideas

Own_My_Own

Cant help you, but I am going to follow this thread. Ds starts a course on Monday in the middle of nowhere. He will need a packed lunch, and I haven't made him one since he was at school. It is also a physical job so I need to fill him up.

Nymphadora

I don't have many ideas as still learning myself but my DH does a physical job and takes sandwiches, fruit, crisp and a chocolate biscuit. I find buying the crisps and chocolate biscuits in farmfoods saves a good bit of money.

Does your DH have access to a microwave at lunch time?

My DH does and it helps as he can take left over dinners to eat, this saves money and time as well. He will take HM vegetable soup so can have a cheap, hot, healthy meal at times.

I would be interested in hearing other peoples ideas as well.

Bennifred

Any "picnic style" foods eg: chicken drumsticks, vegetable crudites with a small tub of humous, pork pie portion, slice of quiche, yoghurt, etc.

purpledonkey

How about something like banana muffins? http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/28/honey-nut-banana-muffin-recipe I've made these before and they freeze really well (for about 1-2 months if well wrapped), just thaw them out the day before you intend to munch them. I find them quite filling as well. Also regarding butter costs, you're right it is expensive at the moment. Tesco currently have half price Anchor packs which has a tub and 500g of butter in for £2.50, as well as six small silicone cases, sugar butterflies and a Dr. Oetker coupon inside for 50p off. Also they, along with Asda sell cheaper butter for a quid for 250g at the moment. Might be worth a look. Hope that helps

good_advice

Home made pasties = I sometimes make a batch. Mince and onion and a packet of diced swede and carrot in the fresh veg aisle. Cook it all then make the pastry. I use a side plate to cut round for the circle. Goes down well here:)

Flan = bacon & egg or cheese and onion homemade. With the bacon, I buy the very cheap off cuts in a big packet from supermarkets.

Fruit cake is also filling. Put a dash of brandy in?

Instead of plain sliced bread buy a long french stick? or big rolls.

Hot dogs? cold sausages in hot dog rolls.

pigpen

yoghurts
fruit jelly
one less chocolate/cake bar and one more piece of fruit
fruit flakes or nuts
Oaty cereal bar
homemade wholemeal cake instead of plastic prepackaged one? banana loaf, carrot cake, scones for example.. all far nicer and healthier and filling!

A tub with chunks of cheese and cooked meats.

lushlifesaver

Bf has a sandwich (ham and cheese) a pink and white (one of those wafers with marshmallow in the middle -50p for 6 or £1 for 14) he then has a couple of biscuits (snack packs of oreos bought on offer atm plus a taxi chocolate biscuit again on offer) and a packet of crisps- we buy ours from Makro. Or when I've made them he has homemade treats instead of the biscuits. He's an athlete so can pack away a lot but I try to only buy the stuff on offer

I take a lot more varied (and often cheaper) stuff. Pasta salad (pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, Sweetcorn and cheese cubes) or cous cous salad (same) plus two pieces of fruit, some homemade yogurt (easi-yo) and a homemade treat or a mini chocolate bar (often those little kinder bars at 8 for £1).

Other stuff that goes down well is cold pizza, left overs (in a food flask or heated at work for me), soup, cucumber and carrot sticks with hummous or cottage cheese.

Homemade wise I always go for pizza, leftovers, Soup, pasties or empanadas, fritata, salads, cakes, biscuits, sausage rolls etc. Batch cook and freeze them until the day before needed

sugarpuss27

Hi Embob, don't know if it will help but if OH has access to a microwave pasta dishes and curry may be an option. My hubby does long days. I make up batches in my slow cooker enough for the week. I use Turkey mince mince it's cheaper and lower fat, throw in whatever veg I have, tinned Tom's and herbs and spices, passata
and a bit of stock if needed. If he fancies chilli I add a tin of kidney beans. Bring to the boil on the hob, then bung in the slow cooker for a couple of hours and then add either rice or pasta for about half an hour. He then takes a yoghurt and lots of fruit to nibble on.

dawn_rose

Hiya my kids take packed lunches to school they have sandwiches, a yogurt, a piece of fruit and a biscuit or hm cake. Sometimes crisps and a drink plus a cheese string. If you wish to fill but be frugal I would recommend not buying name brands (we find own brands or value range cheap but fine) Making cakes is cheaper and nicer than bought plus if you batch bake they will freeze cutting down on heating costs of your oven and use buttery marg instead of butter (you cant taste the difference). I figured out I can make three kids packed lunches a day for 5 days for a tenner or else it would cost me £30 in school dinners. I buy stuff on offer and bread gets boughtt cheaply and frozen to mimise waste. x

~Chameleon~

I often wonder where this idea of needing to include sandwiches, chocolate bars and packs of crisps in a lunchbox comes from? Is it a British thing?