Costs of school meals

[LovelyBath77]

I've just topped up Parentpay yet again, another £60..it's costing around £30 for under two weeks and it's not even like they are eating lot. Some water, lunch and a snack per day. I'm thinking of doing packed lunches on some days. Does anyone else find this too?

I’ve banned snacks.. I’m not having my son spend 50p on a cookie etc. When he can grab something out of the cupboard to take with him.

He is allowed a main meal at lunch time, and dessert once a week. He takes a drink with him.

It costs about £20-£30 a month. We had many teething problems where he went completely overboard with the snacks and treats, I had to reign him in a lot!!

I've always considered school meals very poor value for money; my DS is a teen now but he takes a packed lunch most days or I give him just enough (£2.50) on the occasional day for a school meal - although he tends to spend it on a supermarket meal deal .

I never get the angst some parents have about making packed lunches, and they don't need to cost much if you avoid buying specially packaged 'packed lunch items' .

Yes but they tend to go as a group and so it's part of the social bits of the day.

I hated having a restricted lunch card as couldn't join in with friends so I'd rather go without things myself than do that to them if needed. Nothing worse than feeling different or left out at high school.

They have to carry so much stuff that I don't want to added a packed lunch to that unless they actively ask for one. They take an extra drink in warm weather to have early on before the canteen opens.

Ds has one lunch a week and a packed lunch for the rest of the week.

He doesn’t go crazy thank goodness but it could cost £££ if you didn’t control it.

Is that about £3 a day? That's not bad considering primary here hares roughly that for school dinnet

I think I'm going to do that too, packed lunches some days and lunch others. I've been holding out as i do think it can be healthier to have a cooked meal, but actually what he is buying is things like a panini, drink and snacks like fruit flakes and mini cheddars, I can get those things cheaper. Would still like it to be a bit healthier though. Maybe I can add a few things. He likes flapjacks and we can make them.

Yes it is about £3 a day, suppose that is OK. I have two though so makes it £6 a day..it adds up. The younger has started taking packed lunches and i have noticed a saving (except he wants tuna every day which I am not so keen on first thing in the morning!)

Yes I know someone who makes a hot meal, chills it and sends it in, for example a pasta dish. Mine are quite fussy eaters though unfortunately. But that could work out well. You could just stick it in the fridge. I'm thinking int he hot weather might need those chiller pack things.

Packed lunches are a pain in the arse. I avoid "packed lunch" type stuff but I am not convinced it's cheaper especially if you factor in the time it takes to prepare anything half decent with or without DD's "help".
Dd is moving up to secondary and has just had her transition days. She tried packed lunch for one day and school dinner for the other. She , for the first time, liked the school dinner.
I will keep it under observation because one of the reasons we moved to packed lunches was because she wasn't eating anything from the primary school dinner menu.
But I really hope school dinners are going to work out.

Fluffyrainbows you know the only difference in halal really is prayers playing in the background? Nearly 90% of halal meat slaughtered here/EU is stunned before slaughter, and the fail rate for stunning non-halal meat is at least 10%, so same amount of animals not being stunned before death.

I'd send him with the water and snack, then he buys lunch.

My school was different because lunches were compulsory, but that's how it worked for us — lunch and pudding/fruit were provided, but people would take fruit/biscuit/crisps and drink for break.

Our secondary system lets us see what they're buying and limit the daily spend. We can even limit it to 1 cake/snack item a day if we wish. No crisps, fizzy drinks, sweeteners policy. All very sensible. People claim £3 a day is a lot but it's less than some people spend on a take away coffee! My daughter takes packed lunches some days and buys there too depending on daily choice.

DS’ lunch is about £3 a day, but I think it’s pretty good value for money.

The main meal is something like curry, rice, vag and a naan bread, with a large cookie for snack/dessert. The main meals are very good - I used to work there so I’ve had firsthand experience.

DS is very active and eats a huge amount. A packed lunch would leave him too hungry.

There are a lot of people who have an issue with eating halal meat. That doesnt automatically make them racist. Teenagers are more than capable of forming their own beliefs and opinions. Why does the race/religion card constantly have to be played? They don't agree, end of.

£3 a day is a lot. Just because some people spend more doesn't change that.

The snacks and drinks especially are terrible value for money and bottled drinks are a waste of plastic. The suggestion of taking snacks from home and a drink in a refillable bottle is a good one and will save quite a bit.

It's way cheaper to make packed lunches so that's what I do. It doesn't take long either - couple of minutes to save £15-£20 a week is worth it imo.

curry, rice, vag

snigger

@flashnaaz
You beat me too it

OP
Lots of Mums use flasks and do hot lunches I’m sure it’s even cheaper than 2,00 per portion.

vag and a naan bread childish snicker

brummiesue
No such thing as the race card

God, have meal prices really risen that high or is this just in England? Sorry i’m a new Mum - to - be, 37weeks pregnant so will be new to this in a few years!

I’m 27 now, but remember when I was in secondary school, my first school I used to spend roughly £2-2.50 I think. Hardly hot dinners, toasties or paninis, drinks snacks etc. I remembered moving school for my last year and they had a great system. I think it was this government placed lunch system a lot of schools had to follow. But lunch was something like £1.10 and for that you got a hot meal, soup, a piece of fruit AND bottle of water. This was in Glasgow though so not sure if it’s different in Scotland than England or if times have changed. Although I do live in England now, seems so much for school meals