School Lunches

In an effort to save money, and eat healthier, I've completely stopped eating lunches out. I bring leftovers a lot, and today I brought a salad. I keep dry roasted nuts, meal replacement bars, and string cheese at the office. I keep a water bottle handy and refill it several times a day. The company provides coffee for the employees. For me, making the change to healthier and more budget conscious lunches has been fairly simple.

It's not so simple with the children. We weighed the pros and cons of eating a school lunch versus one from home. We've done the cost comparisons, and even trial basis on each. This is what our little family has found:

Lunch from Home (Pros):
1) We know what's going into the lunches
2) We can make sure the children get a balanced meal
3) Buying in bulk makes the food cheaper to buy than buying school lunches
4) The children love having different or special items in their lunches.

Lunch from Home (Cons):
1) It takes more time than you think to organize and pack 3 school lunches (The children made their own)
2) Buying the containers for the soups, puddings, sandwiches, etc can become expensive to replace due to loss, wear and tear.
3) When you run out of time and your schedule gets hectic, you end up paying for lunches twice. Once when you buy the food, and again when the children forget to pack the lunch or run out of time and they have to buy the school lunch anyway.

Lunch from School (Pros):
1) Convenience
2) It's hot and the serving sizes are appropriate
3) Schools have made great strides in making the meals healthier for the children
4) No extra dishes, baggies, or lunch sacks to keep track of

Lunch from School (Cons):
1) It can be more expensive than making lunches at home
2) You don't always know how nutritious the lunches are
3) Chocolate milk... every day!
4) Not enough time to eat slowly after waiting in line

So, we weighed the facts as we know them and decided to feed them breakfast at home and let them eat lunch at school. It costs about $30 a week, but in the long run, it's worth not having to deal with all of the hassles. If they want to make a lunch, we give them the opportunity. They do have to use the ingredients we have on hand, and they have to make it themselves.